


Marissa

by breezy922



Series: Marissa [2]
Category: NSYNC
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 07:42:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3969652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breezy922/pseuds/breezy922
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JC meets the girl of his dreams. A red haired, green eyed vixen that stole his heart. Unfortunately, the trappings of fame and groupies tore the happiness to shreds. She's not going to take that lying down. Like they say...hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marissa

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't my first work, only my first posting.
> 
> I do not know any of the members of nsync or their families nor do I claim ownership to any of their name. I am just a simple girl with a wicked imagination. Enjoy!
> 
> PS I am new to this site so I apologize if the words seem a little jumbled together. I havent fully got the hang of this whole editing thing.

Marissa

 

It was the summer of 1994 when their journey began. Joshua was a born star, living his dream on television as far back as he could remember. He was over excited this week as it was coming up on his 18th birthday, the day he would finally become a man. He and his best friend Justin, who was slightly younger than him, had been out shopping for their birthday outfits all afternoon.  
“Are you sure your mom is cool about this whole party thing, Jayce? I mean we are inviting pretty much everyone we know.” Justin questioned.  
“Yeah, she's cool. How often does her son turn eighteen, you know? Besides, it’s not like I'm having it at home. The guest list alone is why she insisted on renting out a hall.” Josh replied as he shuffled through shirt after shirt in the department store.  
Justin was sitting down in the fitting room as he glanced at the time. 5:00. He had been waiting on his friend for almost half an hour now. He knew Josh was a pretty boy but even he was starting to lose his patience.  
“Dude, are you trying on the whole store in there? My stomach is gonna cave in if I don't get some food soon.” Justin shouted to the door.  
“Alight, alright. I'm done. Finally found the perfect outfit!” Joshua chuckled as he swung open the door.  
He tossed a set of clothes over to Justin and had dragged out a pile of the ones he rejected. He glanced around, silently looking for anyone that seemed to work there. Then, from around the corner came a young woman. 

A vision from heaven.

Josh thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. A small chuckle brought him back to earth.  
“Yoo-hoo! Jayce!” Justin shouted to him as he waved from his seat.  
He turned his head to see what his dumbfounded friend was gawking at, when he saw her. A tall, fair skinned woman with eyes like fresh grass and hair of the deepest red. He had to admit, she was definitely beautiful. She had a smile that could light up any room. Plus, she had a body that would marvel any celebrity.  
“Josh, you wanna stop staring before your jaw hits the floor?” He giggled just out of ear shot of the woman.  
As if on cue, the woman caught the gentlemen in the corner of her eye and turned toward them. She stopped mid stride. Her eyes lost in the beauty of the man before her. Josh was handsome, tall, slender and had the sea colored eyes of Poseidon. But all this was complimented by his short dark hair that was gelled to perfection. For one moment, there was no one else in the world but them. They stared consumed by an enigmatic attraction neither of them could understand. She forced herself back into reality once she realized just how long she had been staring at him and pulled back her professional facade.  
“Are you gentlemen all set with those?” She pointed towards the clothes.  
“Ye...yeah. Um...I won’t be taking these. Thank you, miss.” Josh stuttered foolishly as Justin pulled him out of the dressing room.  
“Dude, you alright? I thought girls were supposed to be star struck over us.”  
Justin laughed in bemusement at his friend’s condition.  
“Hey, um, can you do me a favor and pay for these? I think I left something in the dressing room.” Josh asked as he handed him some cash.  
Justin giggled lowly and told him to hurry up so they wouldn’t be late for his own birthday party. After all, Josh getting dressed was often worse than a female when it came down to being ready. He walked back and peeked around the corner to see if she was still there. She stood at the podium, thumbing through the stack of clothing. The woman began to sort the brands out before hanging them up on a set of stands behind her.

Stop being nervous, Joshua. Just go up to her and say something. Oh god, why am I acting like I’m a scared little boy? Ugh, this is so stupid. She’d never talk to me. I should just go. No, wait. Just talk to her. I can’t.

After mentally fighting himself, he slowly made his way up to the podium and cleared his throat so as to not scare her.  
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you forget something, sir?” She jumped slightly, not realizing he was even there.  
“Um, no. I just...Well I wanted to come back and say...Um...Hi.” Josh stammered rubbing the back of his neck, cursing his lack of speech.  
She smiled and leaned on the podium, slightly exposing her cleavage in her low cut button up dress shirt. His eyes tried so hard not to focus on anything but her face. She let out a slight laugh and brushed the hair out of her face.  
“Are you always this nervous when talking to strangers?” She wondered, cocking her head to the side in amusement.  
She thought it was so cute how lost for words he became around her. His whole face had turned bright red from the embarrassment of his state.  
“Not really, no. It’s just...well I think you’re beautiful.” He continued, still finding the right words to say.  
“My name is Josh. I, uh, don’t normally do this but it’s my birthday today. I’m having a party tonight and I was wondering, I mean if you’re not busy, if you would like to come?” He finally managed to mumble out.  
She thought for a minute. Honestly, she didn’t even know this guy, at least not on a personal level. But he was definitely handsome. So why not? How often can she say that she partied with a celebrity?  
“I would love to go, Josh.” She answered warmly.  
Justin had tired of waiting so he made his way back over the dressing room to pry his friend away from his drool fest. When he walked over, Josh was handing her an invite to his party and saying good-bye. As they walked out of the store the biggest smile crossed his face.  
Later on that night, the sound of music and laughter filled the halls of the Hilton Resort. Everyone who was anyone came in celebration of the young eighteen year old. The hall itself could hold well over a few thousand people. It was as lavishing as the Hilton was to be expected. On one side of the room, an oversized table about the length of the room was covered in all kinds of food. In the center of the table was a sight to marvel. A 6-foot tall marble cake that was coated in the sweetest of frosting. It was beautiful. On the front side of the cake was written in bold letters:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSH!!!!

It made him laugh when he saw it come out knowing who was responsible for the writing. Only his mother still called him Josh. There was a bar in another corner, with a couple bartenders serving soda to those who weren’t old enough to drink and liquor to those who were. People were everywhere. Some eating, others drinking and talking. There were even more dancing to the music the DJ was playing from the farthest corner.  
It had already been an hour into the party when Justin had announced that it was time for the gifts. Josh, face flushed red, walked up to the corner of the room where he sat and endured yet another hour of ripping paper and repeating the words “thank you.” When all was said and done, he snuck off in search of something. He realized through all the fun of the night that he has yet to see the one person that’s been on his mind. Hope was beginning to fade as he watched the minutes fly by. Throughout the night, Josh’s friends had been handing him birthday drinks. Needless to say in no time he was starting to feel the effects of all the alcohol. He was in the middle of talking to a group of friends when something caught his attention. A woman walked into the room dawning an elegant, black, skin tight dress. Long red hair flowed in locks down her back as she turned to hand over her jacket. Josh, eyes gaped, walked slowly through the crowd over to the woman.  
“For a minute there, I thought you weren’t coming.” He whispered in her ear, running his hand gently over her shoulder.  
Chills went down her spine as she grabbed his hand and turned to look at her blue-eyed prince. She took in the smell of his cologne as she pulled him in for a more than sensual hug.  
“I wouldn’t miss it.” She replied, kissing him on the cheek.  
She walked over to the bar and ordered herself a drink. Josh followed behind her in admiration of the beauty that stood before him. He waited for her to finish before he asked her to dance. She took his hand and as if from a scene out of a movie a slow song filled the air setting the perfect mood.  
“I feel embarrassed to say this, but, I never got your name.” He said, caught in her eyes.  
She cocked her head to the side to move her hair as she let out a soft laugh.  
“Marissa. But everyone calls me Mar.” She replied, pulling her hands up around his neck.  
They talked while they danced. Telling each other about themselves in an attempt to settle the butterflies they both felt. Once the song was done, Josh brought her around the room to introduce her around to his best friends. After a few more drinks, the room had started to spin with excitement as people made their way out. As the party finally started to die down, Marissa began to feel light headed from all she had drank so she went to the bathroom in order to get herself ready to go. She stood against the bitter coldness of the bathroom stall and realized how drunk she really was. There was no way she could drive in her state. She washed cold water over her face and returned back out to the party hall. Josh came over to her and noticed the flushed look on her face.  
“You alright?” He asked, a little slurred from his last drink.  
“Just a little wasted. I think I’m going to get a room and crash here. Driving just isn’t happening tonight. Thank you for inviting me tonight, Josh. I had a great time.” She said as she struggled to get her jacket on.  
“I had a really great time with you tonight. Is it okay if I walk you to your room? Justin and I are staying here also. A gift from my mom in case I drank. And drank I did, ha ha.” He stammered as they both laughed.  
She grabbed his hand once more and pulled him away from the party. They used each other for support until they got to the front desk.  
“May I help you?” The quirky little desk clerk asked, wincing at the booze filled duo.  
“Yeah, I’ve had a bit much to drink so I’m going to need a room for the night.” Marissa stated as she placed down her credit card and license.  
When the paperwork was finished, they walked over into the elevator and pressed the button for the 11th floor. Tension grew as the doors closed. Josh looked down and realized that he hadn’t let go of her hand. Marissa tried to keep her liquor fueled haze from blazing in her eyes as she watched his reaction to the closeness of each other. She knew it would only be a matter of moments before he came to his senses and backed away like everyone else always did with her. He brought his gaze up to hers and felt the pull gravity seemed to have on them and decided not to deny it. He took the last step and felt his lips touch hers as his hand left her, encompassing their bodies together. Her eyes rolled back as she melted against him.

Could this really be happening? She asked herself. 

Deciding to leave victory to chance she opened her mouth to his and let his tongue explore her. Josh felt the warmth of her kiss and it began to drive him wild. His hands began to take on a life of their own as they caressed the silk of her dress. Then as quick as it started, it stopped. The doors opened and the world began to move again. She stepped out, leading the way to her room. She thanked him again and used the key card to open the door. He kissed her hand as she turned to leave. He called her name softly as she walked in, releasing the door. His heart was beating out of his chest when he saw his hand stop it from closing. With liquid courage in his blood, he stepped in and let it shut behind him.  
She had taken off her jacket and was fighting with the zipper on the back of her dress. Josh crept up slowly behind her and traced his fingers along her shoulders once more. Marissa couldn’t breathe. She was building up like volcano, ready to explode. His tender touch, the smell of his body, even the feel of his breath on her body was becoming too much for her to bear. Josh pressed himself up against her and placed his hand on her stomach. With his other hand, he un-zipped the back of her dress and let it fall to the floor.  
“Josh, what...” She whimpered out, tightening her grip over his hand.  
He turned her around and glanced down, entranced in her sexy prowess. He kissed her gently while she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. As his shirt fell down next to her dress, he brought her down to the bed and laid himself next to her.  
“I have a confession to make, Mar. I’ve, uh, never done this before.” He told her as he ran his hands softly over her body.  
She trembled under his touch. Her breath hitched when he started to kiss her neck. Glancing down, Josh noticed how sexy she was. Lying before him was an angelic figure; black strapless bra with a pair of laced boy shorts covered her private areas. The only light inside came from the open window opposite the room. The moon in the distance made her body shimmer with an aura he had never seen before.  
“You could have fooled me.” Marissa shuttered once more, no longer able to contain her desire.  
She pushed him down on the bed and kissed him passionately. She ran her hand slowly down his chest, lightly scratching his stomach, until she stopped at the top of his pants. Her lips went from his down to the base of his neck as she climbed on top of him. One hand removed his belt and un-zipped his pants while she steadied herself with the other. He reached up with what energy he had left and removed her bra, revealing her succulent breasts for him to marvel. Marissa let her hand slide under the fabric of his clothes and unveiled his overbearing member. The feel of it throbbing in her clutches drove her over the edge. She looked up at him with a hunger she had never felt. He relaxed his body, resigned to the pleasure his new found desire gave him. Marissa moved further down planting gentle kisses that made his rock hard cock twitch at her merciless warmth. As she came face to face with her sexually tormented lovers’ member, she continued with light kisses until reaching the tip. Looking up at him again, she watched his head fall back as she took him in as deep as she could bear. Josh gripped the covers and bit down on his lips to stifle his moans and Marissa began the slow pace of letting him go and taking him back in. A small haze came over him as she increased both her speed and grip, moaning for him to let go. A shock wave of intensity consumed him as he spilled his seed into her.  
“Come here...” He moaned, breathing heavily.  
She complied and took his place on the bed. He gathered his thoughts as he intimately rolled down her panties. Pulling off the rest of his clothes, he climbed on top of her. She pushed him back slightly and had an amused look on her face.  
“Wait. Do you have a condom, baby?” Marissa panted with a smile across her face.  
He thought for a moment, he had forgotten to bring anything with him. But, once he looked back into her hypnotizing eyes, he suddenly didn’t care. Josh kissed her deeply...and sealed his fate. He forced himself inside her warmth. She moaned from his size but adjusted easily. He lifted her leg slightly, pushing himself in deeper. Every time he’d thrust, her g-spot would explode in delight. They came to a steady pace after a minute and reveled in each others embrace. Josh could feel the walls of his beauty beginning to tighten around him.  
“Oh my god, Josh. Yeah...uhhhhhh!!” She screamed out with pleasure, digging her nails into his back.  
“Marissa, shit. I love you, baby.” Josh murmured lowly as he felt his own orgasm building against hers.  
Those words sent her over the edge as her climax took over. An explosion of ecstasy took them both into another realm. Nothing mattered. No one. Josh collapsed next to her when he finished spilling his heat once more and fell into a silent slumber. Marissa stared blankly at the ceiling, her hand slowly rubbing the small of his lower back.  
“I love you too” She whispered as she finally succumbed to sleep.  
Marissa woke the next day to the sounds of the birds singing outside her window. The light beamed in on her body stirring her from her drunken haze. She felt horrible as she sat up and immediately ran for the bathroom. After emptying her stomach contents from her escapades of drinking, food, and sex, she stared into the bathroom mirror. She popped open a hotel sample of mouth wash to rid herself of the taste in her mouth. Memories came flooding back to her about the previous night. She opened the door to the bathroom and realized that she was alone.  
What the hell happened last night? Was it all a dream? It had to be. I guess I just drank too much.  
She questioned her mind and even herself. Last night couldn’t have happened. There was no way a guy like that would want a girl like her. She dropped herself back on the bed and turned to see the clock. But, there was something else here. A note. Marissa rolled herself over more and grabbed the piece of paper. Opening it up she read the writing and a smile crossed her face.

Marissa,

I didn’t want to wake you. I had a fantastic time last night and I would like to see you again. Give me a call sometime.

Always,  
J

On the back of the paper was his telephone number. Marissa felt like a school girl as she kicked her feet and hopped off of the bed. As much as she wanted to sit and dwell on the mind blowing sex she had the night before, it was almost check out time and she was going to be late for work.

 

More than a year had gone by and the two had been together quite often. Always going out to dinner, going to the movies, or long walks on the beach. When they weren’t together, they were on the phone. Everything was going well until a late afternoon in October. When Marissa’s phone rang it was an ordinary day. She had just gotten off of work and already had on her pajamas. She looked at the caller ID, as if she had to, and saw it was Josh.  
“Hey.” She said as she answered.  
There was a hollow silence.  
“Josh? Is everything all right?” Her voice grew concerned.  
“Yeah, I’m fine. Mar, there’s something we need to talk about. Any chance I can come by tonight?” He sharply said in a tone she had never heard him use.  
For as long as they have been talking, there has never been anything but happiness between them. They never had so much as an argument.  
“Sure, baby. I’ll leave it open.” She answered as he hung up.  
Now she was definitely worried. Marissa began to question whether something happened. Whether she had done something wrong and if he was mad at her. An hour later, Josh walked through the door. Shutting it behind him he walked around the corner of her apartment and saw her sitting on the couch watching television. She was relaxing with a glass of wine, pajamas on and hair down messily from her long day at work. He smiled. Josh thought she was so cute when she was really relaxed. It was her most genuine side. He cleared his throat and stepped around the back of her love seat to get closer. He bent down and kissed her tenderly.  
“What’s so important, baby?” Marissa wondered.  
Josh grabbed the remote and muted the TV.  
“Justin came to me with an opportunity of a lifetime, baby. I’m gonna be in a music group. We start recording next week.” He said excitedly.  
“Oh my god, baby! Really? I am so proud of you. I always said you had the voice of an angel.” She jumped up and hugged him.  
“But, wait. Why did you sound so upset on the phone?” She asked looking up at him.  
“Well, it means I have to be in the studio and on the road a lot. I didn’t know how you would feel about that.” His excitement faded as he saw the hurt look come over her face.  
“Sweetheart, come here. Why would you think I could ever be that selfish? This is, like you said, a big opportunity for you and I am behind you one hundred percent. I’m not gonna stop you from doing what makes you happy.” She told him, cupping his face in her hands.  
“You make me happy.” He whispered as he pulled her up off the couch. He led her back to her bedroom where, for the last time, he made sweet love to her.  
A month went by and Josh began to text and call Marissa less and less. She was beginning to become annoyed with the lack of communication from him but decided to stay patient because she understood the life he led and the work he did. She had checked her phone day and night for the last week, and nothing. He hadn’t contacted her or returned anything she sent. Suddenly, she began to fall ill. Every morning came wave after wave of nausea. When she could take it no longer, she finally gave in a saw a doctor. After her appointment, Marissa walked out of the office as pale as death. She looked as if she was at the grip of the devil. Impossibility had come to light. She needed to find him, needed to talk to him.  
Once home, Marissa called Justin and left a message for him to call her back. A few hours later, the phone finally rang.  
“Hello?” Marissa answered emptily.  
“Damn, girl. Are you alright? You sound like crap.” Justin chuckled.  
“I’m fine. What are you guys up to? I haven’t heard from you in awhile.” She asked as she walked over to the kitchen to grab something out of the drawer.  
“Uh, good, actually. Just super busy between recording and performing, you know? We’re actually over in New York right now.” Justin stammered, as if he knew something he shouldn’t.  
“Oh. Well that’s good. And Jayce?” She said pulling out a knife from the drawer she had opened.  
She went back over to the couch and sat down, calmly.  
“Look, Mar...”  
“Just tell me. I’m not stupid, J.” She began to cry.  
“I’ve got to go back to rehearsals. I’m gonna send you something, okay? But, please, don’t tell him that I did this. He’d kill me.” Justin whispered into the phone.  
“Thank you, Justin. Good-bye.”  
Marissa waited, staring at her phone in her lap. Tears covered her pain stricken face.

Beep.

Her phone signaled that she had received a new message. The tears started to free flow as she began to regret even wanting to open it. But, she did. It was an email from Justin. Picture upon picture of Josh all over different groupies. Sensual holds and sick filled kisses, she felt her stomach caving in as she drove the knife into the couch. She stabbed it over and over while she kept going through the photos. They got worse after each one. Sharp pain came over her, as Marissa looked down and realized she had cut herself in the leg.  
Marissa dropped the knife and ran her hand over the blood seeping from her wound. A trance came over her as she stared at the blood pooled on her fingers. She was broken. All sense had faded from her mind. Her eyes empty as the tears finally dried. Whatever was left of Marissa had gone. She had enough of being ignored. No more. She picked up the phone and dialed a number without taking her eyes off of her hand.  
“Hello?” A male voice answered.  
“Johnathan, its Marissa. I need a favor.” She said coldly.  
The next day, Marissa sat in the passenger seat outside of her apartment building. A final tear fell from her eye as she watched the window of her apartment burst into flames. She put on her sunglasses as she told the driver to get her out of there.  
“Where we going, Mar?” Johnathan asked.  
“DON’T call me that!” She barked at him.  
“We’re going to Sarah’s place. I need to get things ready.”  
“You realize that Sarah lives in Dallas, right?” He looked at her.  
She didn’t respond.  
“Okay, Dallas it is.” He whispered under his breath.  
And with that, they drove off. Gazing in the mirror, Marissa watched as the flames shot up into the sky, the sounds of fire trucks and ambulances filling the air. It was the end to the pain she felt…But the beginning of something much darker.

 

A few days later, the members of the young boy band were on their way to check into a hotel after a tiring performance. They had gotten two rooms to share for the night until they would meet up with their manager in the morning. Justin plopped down on the bed, thoroughly exhausted, and booted up his laptop to check his email. His cell phone rang. When he looked at the caller ID he noticed it was his mother. They talked for awhile, mainly about how he was and how the performance went. But then she asked him if he had heard about a terrible accident that had happened earlier in the week to some woman from the neighborhood. Of course with how busy he’s been, he hadn’t. After some more rambling between them, he said his good byes and hung up the phone.  
Out of curiosity, Justin closed his emails and loaded up the internet to search the news. He found an article that covered a blaze that had consumed over half of an apartment building just down the street from his parents’ house. As he read through, he learned that there were a few people hurt but there was only one casualty. The police were filing the death as a possible homicide as arson was suspected to come from the apartment in question. He scrolled down to continue reading and that’s when he saw it. A picture of Marissa was in the corner of the article. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, the pain he felt from what he thought he caused. Not even hours ago did he confess his best friends sins. Sins that just may have caused her death.  
Tears weld in his eyes as some of his band mates came into the room.  
“Hey Justin, we decided to order in, but we can’t agree on what to…” Joe started but came to dead stop when noticed that he was crying.  
“Dude, you okay? What’s wrong?” Chris quickly walked over and sat down next to him placing a hand on his shoulder.  
All of the guys began to worry for there friend. It wasn’t like him to become emotional, yet he was near hysterics. He told them to shut the door as he began to explain the entire situation to them. What he had done and what had happened to Josh’s girlfriend.  
“Wow. You wouldn’t know he had a girl the way he’s been acting.” Chuckled Chris.  
Justin glared at him with fire in his eyes. Now was not the time to be making light of things. They had a serious dilemma on their hands. How on earth were they going to tell their friend what had happened? Only Justin really understood how he had really felt about her. Yeah, he was clearly doing things he shouldn’t have been. But, nothing in the world was going to prepare him for this.  
“Guys, I’m gonna tell him. I knew Marissa so he should hear it from me.” Justin whimpered.  
“Nah, man. We’re a group, but more importantly we’re friends. We’ll tell him together.” Joe stated, holding out his hand to help Justin on his feet.  
They all left and stopped in front of the room next to theirs. It was now or never. Walking in, they noticed that Josh was in the shower so they sat and waited. All lost in their own thoughts.  
“Can I make a suggestion?” Chris nudged towards Justin.  
He nodded, not able to take his eyes off of the door.  
“Don’t tell him about the email. It’ll just make things worse and the last thing we want is for him to blame you for something that might not even have anything to do with how she died.” Chris rambled quickly and quietly as the shower turned off.  
After a moment, Jayce opened the door and jumped back with a smile.  
“Shit! Didn’t hear you guys come in. You agree on dinner yet?” He chuckled while he finished drying his hair with his towel.  
He stopped himself when he saw the look on Justin’s face. Tear stricken, Justin walked over to Josh’s laptop and opened it. He typed in his password and began to load the page he had found.  
“What the hell’s going on, guys?” He nervously stepped out of the bathroom to see what his friend was up to.  
“J, you should sit down.” Justin pointed as he faced the screen away from him.  
“Um, okay. What is it?” Josh questioned, his anxiety began to get the better of him.  
“Josh, its Marissa. There was an accident. She…She’s dead.” Justin stammered as his tears finally came to a free fall.  
And with those words, Joshuas’ heart shattered. The world had stood still for a moment as Justin’s words repeated in his mind, over and over.  
“How?” Josh whimpered as he buried his head in his hands.  
Justin turned the screen back to him and cried silently. Their friends sat quietly in disbelief, not sure what to even say to their broken brothers. They looked at each other and went over to comfort them in their time of need. Josh scanned the page reading all the horrific details of the fire that took the life of the woman he once loved. He slammed close the computer and looked up and the ceiling.  
“This is all my fault.” He whispered.  
“What do you mean? Jayce, it was an accident.” Chris reassured as he rubbed his back in comfort.  
“No. I left her behind. I took this chance and never looked back. Running around with all those girls, while I had a great one waiting for me by the phone. You know, I couldn’t bring myself to answer her calls or messages because I was ashamed. I had let her down. I played her for a fool and she got burned. Oh, God, what have I done? She didn’t deserve this…” Josh trailed on and on, sobbing into the arms of his friends.  
Justin ran over to him and just hugged him. The guys excused themselves quietly to give them a chance to grieve. Once they left, Justin tried to compose himself.  
“We’ve been so busy. You know we missed the funeral. Can’t we send something to her family?” He asked.  
“Mar didn’t have anyone. Just me…” Josh sobbed, trying in poor effort to calm himself.  
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Josh opened the door to see two gentlemen in black suits standing in wait.  
“Yes? Can we help you?” He asked, pulling up his calm façade.  
“Good evening, sir. We are looking for a Joshua…” One of the men began.  
“Josh is fine. What can I do for you?” He wondered as he leaned against the door and folded his arms.  
The men showed their badges. They were in fact Florida police. They had searched Marissa’s’ phone records and had seen all the calls to both him and Justin. They asked him about their relationship and the last time he had seen or heard from her. When they had finished with the interrogation they had informed him that the fire was now listed as an arson based homicide. Accelerants had been used in the fire that had originated from her apartment. They suspected that she was killed before the place was set on fire and it was a cover up.  
“So you guys think I had something to do with this?” Josh questioned beginning to feel his anxiety creep back up into his throat.  
“Not at all, sir. We’ve checked on that and your manager has already cleared you for an alibi. We’re just asking around to see if anyone knows of anybody that would want to hurt this woman, that’s all.” The man smirked as he stretched out his hand to him.  
Joshua had assured him that no one he could think of would do such a thing and said good bye. After he finished, he walked back over to the bed and laid himself down. He asked Justin to give him some time alone to think. The minute he left, the pain let itself back in. The woman he had loved so much was gone, and now he was being told that someone had killed her. All of this was too much to bear. He shut off his light and buried his face under the pillow. Praying for the sandman to take him, he finally drifted into a fitful sleep, consumed by the fire that took her life.

 

 

Over the next seven years, Josh poured his pain into his music and took his claim to fame. The tears stopped and what was once the worst day of his life became nothing more than a distant memory. A time that was readily forgotten by all the albums, concerts, and partying. The group became one of the hottest sensations of their era. But like all great sensations…The boy band age eventually came to an end. Members of the group wanted different things in life and the feeling just wasn’t the same. By 2002, the group decided it was time to take a break. Take the chance to try new things and see what direction life would bring them. The last day they were together they had all agreed that no matter what they were doing, they would have a bro’s getaway in October. Just the guys for a small vacation.  
Time apart came and went as some of the guys began there own solo careers. One day, in early October, Joshua was practicing some harmonics when his phone rang.  
“Hello?” He picked up without looking to see who it was.  
“I hope my best friend didn’t forget about our pact.” A voice laughed out from the other end.  
“Hey, kiddo. Is it October already? Jesh, where did the year go?” He shot back.  
“Well good because a deal is a deal and I booked us a weeks vaca in the mountains up in Aspen. Jets leaving from Orlando next Monday, Jayce, and I expect you to be there.” Justin demanded in that playful voice only his childhood friend heard.  
“Yeah, yeah, Curly, I’ll be there. Just email me the details and I will see you then.” He laughed as he hung up the phone and went back to work.  
Justin shook his head as he spent the rest of the day phoning the rest of the guys to remind them that the vacation was coming up. This was going to be the most awesome week since their hiatus. At least that was the plan…  
Bright and early Monday morning, the guys pulled their vehicles inside a private hanger where they planned to meet up with Justin. As they started to grab their bags, Justin pulled up and parked with a huge smile on his face.  
“Hey, guys!” He yelled out and jumped on all his friends.  
“Nice plane, J.” Chris complimented looking over the beautiful G450.  
“Yeah, bro, you definitely out did yourself.” James smiled sweetly as he made his way up the stairs.  
They all said their hellos as they handed off the bags to the carrier and climbed in the jet.  
“Hello. My name is Sandra and I’ll be your stewardess this morning. Why don’t you gentlemen take a seat, the plane should be ready for takeoff in just a moment.” A young woman politely gestured as she made her way back to the cockpit.  
The pilot whispered something to the flight attendant and sent her away. She shut the door behind her and began to explain the emergency procedures to the group. Once she was done, she politely asked if she could get them anything to drink. Justin asked for five glasses of champagne for him and his friends to celebrate their reunion. She nodded and excused herself to the next section of the plane.  
As the plane began its departure, the men rambled on about what they had been up to for the past few months and all the excited things they had done together over the years. It was so good to have each other after so much time. They had almost forgotten what it was like be as one like it was before. No arguing, no deadline or concerts, and no ego trips that sent each other over the edge. It was just five brothers enjoying each others company and a chance to relax.  
Once the plane was safely in the air, the attendant returned with five glasses filled with golden champagne for the crew. They took the glasses and made a toast, to whatever the trip may bring. Continuing to catch up was the most fun they had all year. Some of the guys had started families of their own and talked of their kids. Others had begun making their own CD’s and producing for different celebrities. Suddenly, Chris started rambling about events that hadn’t even occurred but everyone was bursting in tears at his comedic revere. Joe stopped and coughed, unable to catch his breath.  
“You okay, bro. You don’t feel so good.” Josh slurred as he shook his head at the words that he was saying.  
“You said feel! Are you okay?” Chris burst into hysterics unable to control himself.  
“My head. Why is the room spinning? Justin, what the hell did I drink, man?” James asked as he rose out of the chair and fell back down.  
Suddenly, panic set in to all of them as they all started to daze out and found them selves too dizzy to move.  
“Are you alright, sir? You look as if you might pass out.” Sandra asked as she watched unconsciousness claim them one by one.  
“Helppp meeeeee….” Justin whimpered as he too faded to a silent slumber.  
Sandra walked over to the cockpit and knocked on the door. She let down her hair and went over to the bar to retrieve a bag from underneath. She began to change as she glanced over to the now open door.  
“Even when he was in danger, all he cared about was his self.” She laughed as she pulled a set of clothes out of the bag.  
A woman came in through the doorway and placed one hand on her hip as the other removed the pilots’ hat from her head. Long flowing red locks dropped to her shoulders as she took off her shirt and tossed it to the attendant.  
“Well you know what they say, Sara. The male ego never ceases to amaze.” She laughed.  
Sara tossed her another bag from the bar and finished changing. After the woman finished, she marveled at her boss in all her beauty. She donned black leggings under a pair of black knee high boots and a skin tight black shirt that was complimented by a grey over shirt that went down to her thighs. It was open so she could place the holster for her twin silver 9mm Berettas. In her eyes, she was dressed to kill.  
“Johnathan, their out! Let’s change course and head to the exchange point.” She yelled toward the front.  
She looked down at Josh and ran her hands through his hair.  
Still perfect… She thought, lost in her own thoughts.  
“No problem, Mar.” He replied.  
She walked over to him and gently caressed his face before wrapping her hands in his hair.  
“If you ever call me that again, I will kill you. Do you understand? Marissa is dead.” She gritted as she threw his head forward and went back to the past out crew.  
“I’m surprised it took so long for them to fall out. This is going to put us behind.” She coldly stated as she dragged Joe to the floor.  
“Tie them up. We can’t have them waking before everything is ready.” She finished as she walked to the back of the plane and into the bathroom.  
“Yes, Denise.” Sara responded as she complied with her wishes and began to bind the five helpless men.  
Denise stopped and washed water over her face; her eyes never leaving the reflection in the mirror.  
“Marissa is dead.” She whispered, a smirk crept over her face.  
“After all these years, Neice, you’ll finally get what’s owed.”  
Sharp pain ripped over her, crippling throughout her head. She fell to her knees in agony. Time was running out. She had to move fast before it was too late. Shaking off the rush, Denise wiped off her face and returned to her companion to aide in finishing with the guys.  
After a few hours, Johnathan pulled into a private hanger in Dallas and began to shut down the plane. The door to the plane opened and the stairs dropped to reveal a beautiful young woman impatiently waiting. She walked up and nearly stumbled on James snoozing body.  
“What the hell happened? You guys were supposed to be here over an hour ago.” She asked.  
“No time to explain, Kerri. I need you to help Sarah with the bodies so we can hit them with another dose before they wake up.” Denise replied, with a not so amused look on her face.  
The women did as instructed and one by one removed their bodies from the private plane to a smaller one lined up next to it.  
“Johnathan! Get your ass in gear!” She screamed from the bottom of the stairs.  
“Sorry, Neice. I was trying to wipe down everything before we go.” He said hurriedly.  
He noticed how upset his leader was becoming so he rushed off with his own black bag in tow. On the plane, he bent down and opened his bag to remove a much smaller one. Upon opening the zipper, he pulled out five syringes and a small bottle with a clear solution. One by one the guys were injected with the substance. Johnathan packed up his things and went to the back of the plane to change out of his outfit.  
“Neice, I don’t know what happened. I put the right amount in the drinks and…” Sarah started.  
“I measured the drug myself, Sarah, and it shouldn’t have taken them so long to knock out.” Johnathan snapped back as he stepped out in a pair of black pants and sweatshirt.  
“Maybe it was just your weak ass drugs!” Sarah yelled stepping closer in intimidation.  
“ENOUGH!!” Denise shouted.  
“We have more important things to concern ourselves with, darlings. Let’s not snivel over fault. The deed is done. Now it’s time for the next phase. Johnathan, pull us out so I can lock up the hanger, please? Sara, call Donnie and make sure he’s ready for us. Kerri…Go through all their pockets. Grab their wallets and all their phones.” Denise directed in a much calmer disquieting tone.  
The two glared as they were too afraid of her to speak anymore and did as they were told. After a few minutes, the plane was in the air and all was quiet. Things had gone off with only a minor hitch. And now, she had a moment’s peace as they headed to the next part of her plan…New York.

 

An hour passed when Johnathan called Denise up to the front.  
“Shut the door.” He said in a hushed tone.  
She did so and sat herself next him in the co-pilots seat. Johnathan put the plane on auto pilot and began to rifle through his small bag to fish out another syringe. Denise held out her arm and smiled at him with a false innocence. He looked up from the bag and laughed at her.  
“Still have to do it.” He stated in a poor attempt to be serious.  
“I know. I’m just sick of the migraines, J.” She whined as he injected her with a much different solution that was pink in color.  
“They’ve been getting worse?” He asked.  
She nodded. He sighed and rubbed her arm as he placed the needle back into his bag.  
“This is happening whether your with me or not, Johnny. It’s too late to stop and I don’t have much time…” She started at him but a hand was placed over her mouth.  
“I’m with you. You know that, Neice.” He smiled and took off the auto pilot.  
“Besides…Somebody has to keep you safe.”  
And they both laughed and sat in each others company for the rest of the flight. Somewhere along the way, Denise had fallen asleep. She awoke to the sound of Johnathan talking back and forth with flight control. When the plane landed, she shook off the tired feeling in her body and pulled herself back to her true purpose. Instructions were given as she checked to see if the coast was clear around yet another private hanger. Donnie had placed an oversized SUV inside for their next transport so the three began moving the men to the back of the truck. Johnathan checked their vitals to see to the effects of the meds and noticed that it was starting to wear off.  
“We have to move fast, Denise. It’s not going to be long before they wake up.” He yelled over to her.  
Denise walked to the back of the truck and looked down at them.  
“Blindfold them. Just in case.” She said coldly as she climbed into the driver seat and started the vehicle.  
It seemed like it had taken forever before they reached Manhattan. There was an old abandoned boat warehouse on the docks of the South Eastern side that Donnie had come across while doing some recon of the city and immediately Denise chose it for their next stop. It was perfect for what she wanted to do. As they finally pulled down the side of the building a garage door opened up and Donnie waved them in. She slowed to a stop as he closed and locked the door. He walked over laughing.  
“Though you went chicken shit on me, girl.” He chuckled as he helped her out of the seat.  
“Please do NOT get them started again, Donnie. It’s been a really long flight.” She steamed, patting him on the back.  
She walked out a few steps and looked around. It WAS perfect. Donnie had set it up exactly as she had instructed him too. In front of the truck were five small wooden chairs for the guys and down a bit was a big metal desk with all kinds of paperwork riddled all over it. In the back of the warehouse was a break in the ground that led down to a platform on the water. In the water, a speed boat fueled and ready to go. Denise chuckled to herself. Although it had more entrances than she had liked, her minion had done better than she had expected. She had turned to her team and saw that the guys had already begun to set them up in the chairs as the ladies were loading up the rest of their gear Donnie had brought.  
When the guys were finished tying down the prisoners, the entire team huddled around the desk to discuss where she wanted to go next.  
“I just received word that the house is set up for us so we are set to go to Maine from here. Once we blow the building the cops will be too busy going through this mess so, Sarah, that’s your ticket out of the city. They’ll lock down the bridges so you’ll have to move fast.” Denise ran through the plan with ease as she ran her fingers over the map of the state.  
“You and Johnny are going together so don’t fuck this up. Kerri, you’ll be taking the boat with me and Donnie.” She continued as everyone just nodded in agreement.  
Meanwhile, over on the other end of the room, a hazy Justin started to slowly come out of his unconscious stupor. He could hear voices around him but everything was still dark. Panic began to set in when he felt the weight of the blindfold on his face.  
What was happening? Was it some star crazed fan? Had somebody finally gone too far? And what happened to my friends?  
These were question that flew through his mind as a soft moan came in over to the right. By the sound, he knew it was Joe. He went to talk when someone on the other side slightly coughed.  
Jayce.  
He needed to know if he was alright.  
“Josh?” He whispered.  
Nothing.  
“Josh?” He raised his voice a little louder.  
“I’m here, Justin.” Jayce replied slowly, his head on fire from pain.  
“Are you okay?” He asked, trying not to sound too scared.  
Suddenly, everything around them turned silent. The only noise to be heard were the grunts of the others coming too. After what seemed like an eternity, the weakened men heard the click of what sounded like high heels coming their way.  
Donnie and Johnathan turned and smiled as they watched their leader walk gracefully over to her main victim. The ladies never raised their eyes from the maps, not really interested in what was about to play out.  
Denise stopped as she hovered over Joshua. She walked around to the back of him as she dragged her nails slowly up his thigh and over his now rock hard cock and smiled. She kept going up his stomach and chest till she reached his head. His member twitched at every second of this erotic torture.  
That smell…  
His mind suddenly couldn’t focus on the matter at hand.  
That touch…  
She reveled in it for a moment longer before the reminder of all the pain set back in. She grabbed his hair and yanked his head to the side. Bending down closer she kissed his neck and moved to his ear.  
“After all these years…You still tremble at my touch.” She whispered.  
Joshua’s heart dropped. The entire world around him stopped when he realized who it was at his back.  
“Marissa?”  
That was all he could mutter through panicked gasps escaped his lips. It wasn’t possible. He had to be dreaming. There was no way this was happening to him. Without warning, the blindfold was ripped off and screaming light hit him causing his eyes to wince until they adjusted.  
She stepped around and ripped the others off one at a time, her charade apparently no longer necessary.  
“But how is this even possible? They told us you were killed.” Justin stammered, afraid he might be going crazy.  
“Oh, Marissa died alright. Consumed in the fire YOU created.” She answered, pacing back and forth across the floor.  
“Mar, what the hell is going on? Why am I tied up?” Jayce demanded.  
“Don’t! Don’t sit there with that face and act like nothing happened, Jayce! You lied to me!” She screamed as her pace picked up slightly.  
“I know, Joshua. I know everything you did. And you wanna know something funny? I still loved you…” She stopped herself and placed her hand on top of her head.  
“I’m so sorry, Mar. I wanted to tell you so many times. I wanted to pick up the phone and…” He cried.  
“And tell me what? How you were fucking around on me? How you didn’t give two shits about the family you left behind?” She yelled back.  
“Denise…” Johnathan interrupted in attempt to refocus her anger.  
“Stop this, Marissa. Please, you don’t have to do this. Let us go, baby. We’ll go see somebody and try to figure this all out.” Joshua pleaded.  
He wasn’t pleading for just him, but for the lives of his friends.  
“Like who, baby? A doctor? No, thanks, I’ve seen enough of them in my life.” She laughed.  
“Clearly not enough, you fucking psycho!” Chris yelled out.  
Denise walked over and back handed him square in the mouth, splitting his lip.  
“Killing you would make no difference to me, Christopher. So don’t…push it.” She said sternly emphasizing the last part in an attempt to warn him of the seriousness of her fury.  
“Let them go, Mar. Haven’t they suffered enough?!?” Josh said clearly getting more upset.  
Denise walked back over to the desk and picked up an item off of the surface in front of her.  
“I told you not to call me that. Marissa died a long time ago.” Her tone mellowed down to let her think of that fateful day when she went from being hurt, to faking her own death with a body her friend stole from the morgue.  
Johnathan had pulled some strings back then to put her name as the deceased when he told her that the Medical Examiner owed him a favor or two.  
“Look, you can’t just kidnap us like this, Mar. You’re gonna get yourself killed over what? Because I cheated? Cut this shit out and let us fucking go!” Joshua shouted, no longer able to control his anger.  
But that anger quickly diminished to fear as the former love of his life flew at him in a rage and slammed over into the floor. She pulled out a knife from behind her as she straddled his body and held it to his throat.  
“You abandoned me, Jayce. You took everything from me.” She laughed as she glanced down at her stomach momentarily.  
“You think you know pain? You know nothing. But you will, my sweet love. This will not stop until you watch everything you love get ripped from you. Like it was to me…”She finished as she rose from his body. She motioned over Donnie to pick him up as she walked back over to the desk.  
“Besides, baby…” She stared at the knife then stabbed it into the desk.  
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…” She laughed as she stormed out of the building into the fresh air.  
A single tear fell down Denise’s face as she looked up at the sky. Her fury knew no bounds but finally having him in her grasp has caused her to doubt the very base of her efforts. Lost to herself, Denise did not hear Donnie come up behind her.  
“In all the years I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry. Are you alright, Neice?” He asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder.  
Quietly she wiped at her face and turned to go back inside.  
“I just needed a moment. Come on, we have work to do.” She smiled.  
And for a moment, Donnie had remembered the first time he ever saw her smile. The two had been long time friends and he could remember when she didn’t have a care in the world. True, he hadn’t known her as long as Johnathan, but he felt like he knew her well enough to believe that there was still a chance she could be happy again.  
“Denise, wait.” He called after her, causing her to stop at the door.  
“If you’re going to go through with this…” He started.  
She turned on her heel and glared seemingly through him. He walked over and put one hand on hers and his other hand tilt her head back so she was looking at him.  
“Remember what I told you. Keep control of your emotions, sweetie. When you get over emotional, that’s when mistakes happen.” Donnie whispered to her as he kissed her forehead and opened the door for her.  
“I’m fine. Let’s get things moving.” She replied as she walked back in the warehouse.  
The guys had been arguing quietly amongst themselves trying to see a way out of their current situation.  
“Mar…Denise? Just let us go. You have what you want. The rest of us don’t deserve to be punished!” Justin stammered toward her.  
“You’re so fucking selfish, Justin! All you ever think about is yourself!” Chris yelled, struggling with his ropes.  
“Will you two just quit it? Now is not the time to…” Lance said worriedly glaring at the two men.  
“OH MY GOD! Sarah, Johnathan, will you please gag them? I am so sick of hearing their whining right now!” Denise shouted as she rubbed her temples.  
Suddenly, a phone began to ring from one of the black bags on the ground near the truck. Joshua began to furiously struggle in his seat when he realized it was his phone that was going off. A sinister look crossed Denises’ face. It was time. She dug out the phone and walked quickly back outside.  
“Kerri, can you start putting the bags in the back of the truck? I have a feeling we’ll be leaving soon.” She chuckled, nodding towards the direction Denise took off in.  
She nodded back and began packing up. Donnie started wrapping up all the papers on the table, careful not to leave anything behind. Once they were done, Johnathan disappeared behind some shelves from everyone’s view to check on some of the final preparations Denise had asked for.  
Meanwhile, Denise stood outside allowing the phone to ring several more times before answering it.  
“Hello, Jessica.” She coldly answered.  
“Who is this? And where is Josh?” A voice asked.  
“Oh, he’s kind of tied up right now.” She laughed.  
“Can you put him on the phone, please?”  
“I’m sorry. He can’t come to the phone right now. He’s literally tied up at the moment.”  
The phone grew quiet.  
“Who the hell is this? What’s going on?” Jessica questioned.  
“Someone that needed information. Someone willing to do whatever it takes to get that information.” She responded with a force she had not intended.  
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m calling the police.”  
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  
“Yeah and why is that?” Jessica asked snidely.  
“Because I’d hate for you to find young Joshua with his throat cut in lieu of his girlfriends’ stupidity!” She screamed.  
“Now, have I got your attention?” Denise wondered, her voice returning back to its cruel demeanor.  
“What do you want?” She cried.  
“I have what I came for. The man is of no more use to me. If you want him back, I suggest you pay attention. There is an abandoned warehouse on the Southeast corner of Manhattan Island. It has the number 385 across the front of the building and is located on the harbor. Be there in exactly one hour if you want to find your boyfriend alive.” She continued.  
“And my dear? If I so much as see one police officer…I’ll put a bullet in his head.” She laughed as she hung up the phone.  
She turned and smiled at her performance as she waltzed back in to join the others.  
“The games have begun. Get them loaded up so we can get out of here.” She pointed at the guys.

Ring Ring...

The team looked around the room in confusion.

Ring Ring…

Denises’ eyes zeroed in on the incessant noise that blared throughout the warehouse. She slowly walked over to Chris and reached into his pocket. She snatched out her hand to reveal a phone.  
“What the hell is this?” She asked, her eyes fueled with anger at the carelessness of her teammate.  
“Denise, I don’t know how I missed that. I thought I had all their phones.” Kerri shook while her eyes became fixated on the ground.  
Denise sighed in disappointment as she answered the phone.  
“Hello?” She feigned an irritated yet polite southern accent.  
She walked over towards the metal banister that was in front of the boat dock and placed her foot on the lower rail.  
“This is Detective Richards of the Manhattan police department, ma am’. We received a disturbing call from a young woman that claims to be Christopher’s girlfriend. May I speak with him, please?” The detective finished.  
“This is his assistant, Claire. Unfortunately, Chris is taking an interview and isn’t available right now. I’ll be sure to give him your message and have him call you as soon as he is done.” She replied mockingly.  
Donnie and the others covered their mouths to keep from laughing at the sound of her voice. The detective thanked her for her time and hung up the phone. Denise turned back toward them and kept her eyes on Kerri. They walked slowly to each other, Kerri apologizing for her mistake repeatedly. Sarah shook her head and gestured for the men to keep loading. Once Kerri was close enough, Denise backhanded her across the face and grabbed her throat.  
“Do you have any idea what you could have done?!?” She lashed as the grip got tighter around her neck.  
“Seven fucking years of planning! Down the drain because you can’t do your God damn job!” She reamed on as she let go of Kerri and turned to throw the phone into the water.  
Kerri fell to the floor gasping for air, still apologizing through her coughs. Denise ran her hands over her face in a poor attempt to calm herself. Glancing down at the water she debated on what she had to do to fix this new complication. Without warning, she ripped around with the darkest grin upon her face. Everyone jumped backed terrified at what idea may have popped into her mind.  
“You know what? It’s okay.” She said, warmly.  
Everyone stopped at looked at Denise bewildered at the words that had come from her mouth.  
“What?” Sarah said as she covered herself with her hand, embarrassed at the notion of saying that out loud.  
“Yeah, I mean I’m upset, but mistakes happen. Nobody’s perfect. Come here, Kerri.” She held out her arms to the fallen woman.  
Kerri cautiously climbed to her feet and stepped closer. Wearily, she embraced her boss and apologized once more.  
“Shh, now calm down. We all fuck up from time to time, Kerri. The important thing is that we learn from our mistakes. Embrace them, and move on. Now I want you to get yourself together and help us finish. We have less time to finish then I had hoped now.” Denise said in a childish tone in order to soothe her fears.  
She walked away and began to walk back toward the vehicle. Kerri turned to the water and wiped her face, chastising herself silently.  
“Kerri, there is one more thing I forgot to mention.” Denise toyed as she stopped walking.  
“Yes, Denise?” Kerri asked as she wiped her face once more.  
Before she could say anything else, Denise pulled her Beretta from her back and pointed it at her, cocking the hammer. As she turned to accept her fate, Denise pulled the trigger, shooting her right between the eyes. Kerri’s eyes rolled back and her body fell over the railing and into the water.  
“I do not broker failure...” Denise said loud enough to dare anyone else to follow in her footsteps.  
The team finished the loading all of their things and all that remained was the five men. Tears ran down Joshua’s cheeks as he finally came to realize the truth. They weren’t going to live through this.  
Denise had placed her gun back in its holster and pulled Johnathan aside to talk to him about the final destination and to make sure every single detail had been attended to. All the while, Donnie and Sarah had loaded up four of the young victims into the vehicle. Donnie had gone over to the garage door and flipped a switch to safely open it for them to pull out leaving Sarah to tend to the last prisoner, Josh.  
“I can’t give them anymore medicine yet, Neice, I’m sorry. The toxicity levels in their blood could kill them if they have too much. I should be able to hit them with another dose by the time we get to the last state line.” Johnathan warned careful not to disclose the last location.  
“The ropes should hold till then. We’ll stop and let them use the restroom then its goodnight the rest of the way. Get the boat ready.” She told him.  
Sarah untied Joshs’ ropes and grabbed his handcuffs telling him to move. He did as he was told and headed to the truck to join the others. When he got to the door he gave his brothers an apologetic look. Sarah walked around to get in the drivers seat while Donnie started to open the door to let him in. Josh bravely kicked open the door, knocking Donnie off his balance so he fell and he took off running. He had no idea where he was, all he knew was he had to keep going.  
“DENISE!” Sarah yelled out as she witnessed the commotion, unable to climb out of the seat on time.  
Denise looked over as he made it out the entrance and saw him take off for the back of the building. She ran quickly towards a different door in the back of the inside in order to cut him off. She burst out the door and glanced around the corner to see that he was closing in on her direction. Looking around, she saw a metal pipe on the gravel beneath her feet. Denise picked it up and momentarily closed her eyes to listen for the sound of his pace. As soon as he reached the buildings end, Denise dropped down the pipe at an angle that caught him mid run. It sent him flying forward straight to the ground. Josh hit the ground with such force from his sprint that the impact knocked him unconscious instantly.  
Denise laughed out loud and waved Sarah and Donnie to leave. He hopped in the truck and Sarah floored it the whole way out of the area. Johnathan walked over and picked him over his shoulder.  
“Oh, darling, you really are so predictable.” Denise blurted out in hysterics as they both climbed into the boat and sped off towards the opposite side of the water.  
Once on the other side, Johnathan took out a drill and put several holes in the bottom of the boat so it would eventually sink and Denise wiped all the prints off of everything they had touched. He picked up Josh and followed her into an abandoned building right off of the dock. When they reached the top, Johnathan placed Joshua down in front of a window and a stand that held a television with a computer attached to it. She turned on the TV and glanced over at Johnathan.  
“Are you alright?” She asked playfully.  
“You try carrying a grown ass man up seven flights of stairs and see how you feel.” He huffed back, panting.  
“That’s what I have you and Donnie for, silly.” She laughed as she crossed behind him and lightly smacked his backside.  
He let out a slight laugh and walked into the other room to catch his breath. After a few moments he returned ready to continue and placed his arms on Joshuas’ shoulders. She called out his name several times before becoming impatient. It was only when she slapped him across the face did he finally snap out of it.  
“Jayce! Hey, now is not the time for sleeping, sweetheart. We still have so much left to do.” She teased while running her hand across his reddened cheek.  
“Denise, this isn’t funny. Let me go!” He fidgeted in Johnathans’ hold.  
“Wow, Johnny. I think he’s really mad now.” She teased some more.  
“What part of this is supposed to funny, baby? Huh?” She coldly stated ripping his head back with her hand.  
“I told you this isn’t going to stop. And what were you thinking running like that? You’re gonna have a nice bruise on your head now.” She finished as she released her grip and touched his head causing him to wince.  
“You really are so predictable, you know that? Seven years, Josh. Didn’t you stop to think I’d have covered all my bases?” She questioned.  
“Looks like someone’s finally here.” Johnathan said pointing at the screen behind her.  
She turned to look over the four camera display and saw a frail young woman climbing out of her car running over to one of the doors.  
“What the fuck is going on? Oh my god. Jessica?” Josh’s eyes widened when he realized it was his current girlfriend that had arrived at the warehouse.  
“Denise, please?! I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll do anything you ask, just don’t hurt her.” He cried.  
“I forgot which door I left open, Neice. All the rest are rigged to blow the c4 inside.” Johnathan joked.  
Just then, local police and SWAT poured over the other side setting up to breach the inside.  
“Bad girl, Jessica. Looks like she didn’t listen to me when I said no police, huh? I really hope they don’t open that warehouse up…for her sake.” Denise laughed as she watched the woman open a door without incident.  
Josh sighed in relief and pled to Denise more.  
“I’m begging you, Mar. Please just let her go.”  
Denise stood up slowly and watched the police. They closed in on the building and broke the lock on one of the doors.  
They began to count down.  
“Please?!?”

3…

“I’m sorry, Mar. I love you so much, baby, you don’t have to do this to her!”

2…

“God forgive me.”

1…

“I’m so sorry, Jessica.”

0…

“Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!” He shrieked as the police ripped open the warehouse door and an explosion echoed through the entire city.  
A cloud of fire flew into the air as the very foundation vibrated from the impact. The television went to static as Denise shut it off, her eyes still on what could only be seen as debris and shattered concrete. She looked over at the pain she had caused and smiled.  
“Johnathan, didn’t you say that the c4 was set to a double trigger?” She wondered.  
He smirked back as he muttered “yes” still confounded by all the damage that had been done. Denise turned around and typed in something to load on the laptop. Joshua sobbed uncontrollably as he kept his eyes on the blaze of flames that shot up in the distance.  
“I told you, Josh, you will know what true agony is. I am going to break the bonds of love, life, and friendship in ways you can never imagine. And it looks like I’ve already taken two of those away from you.” She stated emptily as she turned the screen toward him.  
He blinked a few times to clear his eyes only to start screaming and crying once more at the live news footage displayed before him.

“We’re coming to you live in Orlando at the parents’ house of famous former boy band member JC whose home has just burst into flames. The local Fire Department is out in force trying to tame this wild inferno as we speak. Police are giving no comment as of yet, simply stating that it is believed that the family was in fact home during the explosion. You all know JC as Joshua…”

Denise closed the screen and unplugged the laptop. Josh could only cry, his heart shattered into a million pieces by the one he had once loved. She stopped next to him as she pulled her trusty Berretta back out of its holster. Johnathan shot her a look of disbelief at the thought of her shooting him now. Josh heard her cock back the hammer next to him.  
“Go ahead. Do it. You’ve already taken everything from me. Finish this.” He quietly cried as he bent his head down, hoping for a quick release.  
What was a moment of weakness in her feelings now turned the little that was left of her heart to ice. Her grip tightened on her gun as she checked to make sure the safety was on.  
“Not yet.” Denise whispered in his ear she brought down the gun across the back of his head, placing him back into unconsciousness.  
Johnathan picked him up and carried him back down the stairs to meet up with Sarah and Donnie who had made it across the bridge just in time. They waited patiently and helped him once they saw him emerge from the entrance.  
“Where is she?” Sarah asked as she climbed into the passenger seat.  
“She’s coming.” He replied quietly, sitting backwards in between the front two seats to watch the terrified hostages.  
“We need to talk about what’s going on with her, guys.” Donnie said trying to keep his voice down from the very back of the truck.  
“Not now, okay. I’m not talking in front of them and it’s not the right time.” Johnathan warned.  
Denise finished setting up the upstairs and lit a single match. She stared at it for a moment and let it fall. As the flames blazed throughout the rooms, she made haste down the stairs not wanting to get caught in the rapidly spreading fire. As she hopped into the driver side, the entire top floors’ windows shot out and barely missed the roof of the vehicle as they pulled out.  
So much had been done, and there was still so much to do. Denises’ mind raced as she drove away from her own insanity toward the final stop. No more screw ups. No more debating. It was now or never…and they had all come too far to turn back now.

The state line had come and gone. Her crew was starving and needed a break so she decided to stop at an abandoned rest stop so they could all stretch and use the bathroom. Donnie had taken their captives out one at a time and warned them all not to try anything or they’d be killed. Johnathan accompanied him each time so he could administer the last doses of his solutions to them so as to not give away their final destination. Denise had pulled out the laptop from underneath the seat and surfed through the web until they were all finished. She placed it back when she found what she was looking for and turned the car over.  
“We need to hurry. Everyone is looking for them.” She snickered as she pulled off non-stop toward the very top of Maine to a secluded mansion she had inherited from her family long ago.  
The trip seemed to take its toll on the young woman as her vision became hazed. She finally veered off of the main road and drove up an inclined path that opened up to beautiful lavished house. The land went on for miles as they climbed out of the car and looked around. A few lights from the inside just magnified the size of the building before them. It was something even the famous would marvel. The walls were brick laden even though you couldn’t really tell in the dark. It was three floors of layered beauty, each floor with its own balcony. The back of the house was magnificent to anyone who would call this place home. It had an oversized in ground pool and Jacuzzi as well as a greenhouse that was clearly tended to. Shortly past it was what her parents only referred to as “death’s cliff”. It was completely forbidden to everyone as it was a 500ft drop to the freezing ocean below. As for the inside, it was a sight to behold. 10 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, full basement, and more entertainment rooms than any one person would know what to do with. It was decorated with the finest of taste and to Denise it felt like something out of an old English movie. The thought made her laugh as she dropped her keys on a table that was in front of her. Through the front entrance was the foyer. It had a grey stoned fireplace, a 3 piece medium sized living room set for guests and behind it a grand staircase to the second floor.  
Denise directed her team to unload the guys while she attended to another matter and to meet her back downstairs. She had a special room made just for them. Over the years, while she was master minding this cataclysmic event, she had two of the bedrooms upstairs gutted. The wall was torn down and replaced with bars in order to create a make shift prison with five chains protruding from the center of its floor. The rooms were refurnished to perfection, the captive side door removed and a giant mirror was placed in the opposite wall so the room can be monitored from the other side.  
After a short amount of time everyone began to make their way back to the main hall and waited for Denise to return. Tired of the silence, Sarah got up and said what was obviously on all of their minds.  
“This is gotten completely out hand guys.” She said, seemingly standing her ground in hopes that the others felt the same.  
“What happened at that warehouse was not supposed to go down like that. What the hell was she thinking, Johnathan?” Donnie questioned attempting to keep his voice down.  
“Why are you asking me? She had a backup plan from the beginning. How the hell were any of us supposed to know that Kerri would fuck everything up?” He responded.  
“She is losing it, John. And I am not about to sit and watch her take us all down with her.” She stammered as she started toward to staircase.  
“What the fuck are you gonna do, Sarah? Walk away? You know as well as me that this is too far gone now.” Donnie protested as he began to pace as well.  
“She is going to kill these men, Donnie. You know it in your heart that this is not about him learning any lesson. Denise is not…” She started.  
“Not what? Stable…Sane…In my right mind?” Denise asked as she walked down the stairs, unbeknownst to them that she had heard the entire conversation.  
“You’re taking this too far, Denise! You’re going to get us all killed!” She screamed.  
“Calm yourself, Sarah. Everything is exactly as it should be. The cops are busy chasing their tails and no one even knows we are here.” Denise assured in an eerie calm demeanor.  
“What about our ultimate goal, Neice? What happens when you go too far? What is gonna happen to us if we fail? This is not what the fuck we signed up for!” Sarah shouted as her confidence seemed to grow momentarily.  
But that new found self-esteem was shattered once she noticed that Denise had cocked the gun underneath her chin a saw the fire blaze in her eyes.  
“You wanna leave? Abandon me like everyone else has?” She wondered, tilting her head to the side.  
“DO YOU?!?”  
Sarah stilled.  
“Go ahead. Go. But you know what happens to people when they leave me…”  
Denise slowly ran the barrel of the gun down the side of her face.  
“I just can’t take feeling like that. The pain…The disappointment.” She continued as she jammed the gun back into her neck.  
“I don’t think I can handle losing my best friend, Sarah.” She finished as stepped back a bit to calm herself.  
“I’m not going anywhere, Neice. I promised to be here for you and I meant it. I’m sorry. I just see you losing focus of why we’re here. You’re playing too much into his fear instead of telling him the truth about why he is here.” Sarah pleaded toward her.  
“She’s right, hun. You can’t keep lying to him. He needs to know the real reason he is here. In order for him to learn anything he needs to be enlightened to the severity of his actions.” Johnathan stated walking toward her.  
“He has a right to know about her, Neice. He needs to know about…”  
Suddenly, Denise grabbed around his throat and pulled him in close.  
“If you so much as mention that name to him, Johnathan, I will slit your throat and watch you die.” She raged through her teeth.  
Donnie walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. The sound of her name snapped her back to reality and she stormed away to retreat to her room giving one last instruction.  
“Complete the final preparations!”  
All they could do was sit in silence as they watched her disappear out of sight. Their minds flooded with questions of what was to come. How far was she really willing to go to make him pay for his sins? How much pain would she really cause?  
Denise picked up pace as she closed in on her bedroom, swarms of images flooded her head with no sign of stopping. That all too familiar pain crept its way back with full force. She kicked open the door and slammed it shut behind her. Pain. Searing, mind numbing pain. Images of the past, forced her back against the door and dropped her to the ground. She grabbed her head and screamed with all her might for a release from her torment.  
Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.  
“GO AWAY!” She cried through tear stricken eyes.  
“It’s me, my lady.” A woman responded through the door.  
Denise wiped at her face and climbed up to straighten herself out before opening the door. She pulled it back slowly and leaned her body against it calmly.  
“Yes, Maria. What can I do for you?” She asked warmly.  
Maria was her maid. More than that, she was the only one that had not abandoned her throughout the years. The only person that truly understood her and got through to her where all others had failed. Maria had been with her since the beginning, back when her parents were still around….Back when things were normal.  
Before she could answer, Denise moved over to the king sized bed in the middle of her room and sat down, burring her face in her hands.  
“What’s wrong, child? I haven’t seen you this sad in years. Not since…” She started.  
“I know, Maria. I know.” Denise interrupted.  
“How is she? I have been away for some time now and I have missed her so much.” She wondered.  
“Bright as ever. Always happy, just like someone else I use to know.” She replied with a genuine smile.  
“I fear my purpose has faltered.”  
“How so?” Maria asked.  
“I planned everything to the letter. But when I’m in the moment…My mind is so fractured, Maria. I know why I’m here, I know what needs to be done, but I…”  
“You still love him?”  
“Yes. But I can’t let him go, I just can’t.” Denise finished as she rose and began pacing the room.  
Maria just watched and listened intently. Her pace quickened as her mind raced and her stomach churned. She walked over to a Victorian styled desk that sat in the corner and flipped it over. Her fury spewing any way it could.  
“I wish I could ease your pain, madam. I have seen you go through more than you have ever deserved. What can I do, Denise? How can I ease your suffering?” She pled.  
Denise stopped in her tracks and looked at the elderly woman. She felt a love for her that most would feel for their mother. The woman that raised her was now in fear for her safety. Afraid that the outcome of this venture would not only destroy her but everyone around her.  
“I want you to leave, Maria. I want you to get away from this place. There is nothing left here for you.” She said as she walked over to her bed side table and pulled out a manila envelope.  
“I haven’t got much time left and I need someone to finish my final arrangements just in case something goes wrong.”  
“But…” She started as tears filled her eyes.  
“No. In this envelope is a ticket to New York. I need you to go see, Wendell Fitzgerald, the family lawyer and be sure that my final arrangements have been made. Please, Maria. For her?” Denise added as she sat down next to her and handed her the envelope.  
“I don’t want to…But, I will for you. Just promise me you will be careful.” Maria replied to her as she kissed her cheek and took her leave.  
She didn’t look back as she left the room. Maria couldn’t bear losing Denise. It broke her heart to have to walk away from her, from the only home she ever knew.  
Denise walked over around to the other side of the bed, to the grey stone mantle that was above an even more luxurious fireplace. The flames glistened over her face as the heat seemed to consume her thoughts. So bright, the orange light dances in front of her eyes.  
Fire. So beautiful and yet so dangerous. That was something Denise knew all about. A smile crept over her face as she thought about the night she had learned how dangerous it actually be. Her mind brought her back to the last night she was in Austin, Texas.  
Smoke filled the air as the screams clouded her mind. The rain poured down her already drenched body as she leaned on an oversized tree near the edge of the woods. The blazed consumed the small farmhouse in the brightest orange light you could imagine. Squinting her eyes, she watched as a man and woman screamed for help in the distance. The downpour wasn’t enough to douse the flames so the fire roared throughout the valley. Denise blew a kiss and turned to leave.  
Blinking her eyes, she looked away from the fireplace and glanced up at her reflection. Stone cold eyes stared back at her. She didn’t know who she was anymore. It had been so long since she had a real name. A real life. Denise chuckled as she caught something on the mantle. Something she hadn’t seen in many years. It was a locket. Brass and laced in emerald, she picked it up and opened it to look at the picture inside. It was of her parents. Her mother had given her this locket the week before she died as a parting gift. To remind you of the good times, she said. The next week her mother had disappeared. It wasn’t until a month later that her body surfaced floating in the icy river below. According to the police, she had seamlessly cast herself off of death’s cliff in a fit of depression. Her last will and testament had left her daughter with everything. Everything accept a mother.  
The other picture in the locket however, sparked something in her she couldn’t contain. An anger she couldn’t place.

SMACK!!!!!

”You stupid fucking bitch!” Robert screamed as his wife fell to the floor.  
“Fuck you, Rob! You’re a lying, cheating bastard!” Lilly screamed through her tears.  
A small child lay hidden underneath the bed. She lets out a small cry as she covered her mouth.  
“I thought I told you to go to bed, you little brat!” He tossed over the bed in a drunken haze and grabbed the girl by her hair.  
“Daddy, no!!” She screamed.  
He was so drunk…so angry. Lilly held her daughter close, afraid to move, as the man fell asleep on the couch. Bloodied and beaten, the woman brought her daughter upstairs and placed her in a warm tub to clean her wounds. She sung her a lullaby and reassured that her father just needed help. That he loved her.  
This went on for years. Eventually, Lilly got sick of his infidelities and confronted him one night at dinner.  
“I can’t do this anymore, Robert. The women, the abuse, it’s just too much.” She whimpered.  
“Oh yeah, and just what the fuck are you trying to say, Lilly?” Robert said in his most condescending tone.  
“I want a divorce.” She pronounced louder.  
Robert dropped his fork and looked up from his meal. Lilly looked over to her daughter and sent her up to her room. But, before she could get up the stairs, a loud crash ran throughout the house. Lilly screamed as the man she had once loved, struck her ferociously. The devil in his eyes as he cursed the day he met the woman and gave her a child. They yelled, screamed, and fought for what seemed like a lifetime. Robert grabbed his jacket and stormed out, leaving out the front door for the last time.  
The child cried out for him to stay as the door slammed shut. Her mother grabbed her and hushed her shouts and pleas. He had left them. Left them for another life. Never to be seen or heard from again.  
Denise stared off as her mind was brought back by her reflection. She was cursed with his resemblance, stuck with his features. Her mother would often ignore her stating she couldn’t bear to look at her. All she saw was her father. From the first time she got into a fight in kindergarten to the first time she got arrested at the young age of ten for beating another girl within an inch of her life, her mother had always said she would end up just like him. She hated him. Her mother hated him. And now, her mother hated her. She punched the mirror with all of her might and watched her image blur from the millions of cracks she had created.

Knock Knock

Denise stared blankly at her hand, trapped in her own mind. Johnathan walked in, saw her hand covered in blood, and immediately ran to her.  
“Oh, my god, Neice! What the hell happened?” He asked in confusion.  
“Huh?”  
Hazily, she looked up at him and snatched her hand away.  
“Let me see. Shit, babe, you got glass in your hand.” He pulled her into her bathroom to run her hand under water.  
He pulled out some first aid supplies from under her sink and cleaned her hand. She watched him carefully and sat in silence. Denise never really noticed until now how much care he actually took with her. Such kindness that she didn’t even feel she deserved. He finished wrapping it and caught that she was staring at him with a look he had never seen. They smiled and got up, acting as if their thoughts weren’t on each other and began to clean up.  
Denise reached over to cut on the faucet at the same time as him and they stopped. For one single moment, it was if nothing else mattered. The world had slowed and everything became hotter around them. Johnathans’ eyes went from her hand to her eyes. There was that look again. Deep and needing. Emotion that had long since gone. A wanting that she couldn’t shake. With hidden passion in their moment, she leaned in and kissed him.  
Without hesitation he pushed himself closer to her and melted away in her every essence. All the love and devotion of their long standing friendship and all the unrequited desire for one another sparked them into a frenzy. But as fast as it began, it had come to a screeching halt. She grabbed his hand and gently pushed back to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, he saw they had returned to the stone cold emerald they had been before. Their moment like all others for her buried in the abyss of her soul.  
“Is everything ready?” She questioned, turning around to adjust herself.  
“Yeah, everything is set.” He murmured as he laid a single kiss on her head and took his leave.  
“Can you bring me a drink, sweetie?” She called after him as he walked out and she put on her game face, determined to keep her feelings in check.  
She walked out and holstered her guns off the bed and placed her fingers on her lips, making a mental note of that one moment of peace before she threw herself in the depths of hell once more.

 

As she made her way down the corridor to go begin the next phase in her plan, Johnathan stopped and opened a door on the opposite side of their captives’ room. It was redesigned over the past few years into a space similar to a hospital room. Tables covered in surgical tools and a huge overhead light just like a dental office. In the center of the room sat an operating table with a deceased male strapped to it hidden under a white sheet. She looked up and took note of the surveillance camera in the top corner. It was exactly as she had wanted it.  
“I have a transfusion kit underneath the table ready to pump. Everyone is in position.” He informed her.  
She nodded to him and walked over to the opposite room. Opening the door, she looked in and saw they were still unconscious spread around the other side of the metal bars. Denise walked over and sat down in the chair that was placed for her. The men were secured in the room by chains on one of each of their ankles that were set to the middle of that half of the room.  
Johnathan walked back and handed her a glass of merlot. He cleared his throat and motioned toward the glass behind her. She acknowledged his subtle statement and gave him a look to move back behind her. Denise took a moment to clear her head, crossed her legs and sip at the sweet bitter wine. After a few moments of clarity, her impatience got the better of her and she slammed her heel on the floor.  
The boys started to stir. The fog of the drugs slowly faded as they came to.  
“Hello, boys.” She chuckled as she took another sip from her glass.  
One by one they looked around at their prison and felt the chains. Panic stirred quickly through them as they had come to terms with their fate. Trapped with nowhere to run, no way to escape, and at grips with the devil herself.  
“I take it you don’t like your new room.” She laughed.  
“Marissa, what the fuck are you doing? Let us the fuck out of here?” Josh demanded.  
“You are deranged, lady!” Chris yelled out.  
“Shut up!” Joey shouted to the others and walked toward the cell bars. “Please, Denise. I have a wife and children. I don’t know what he did to piss you off so much and I personally don’t care. I just wanna see my kids again. Please, let us go.” He pled with tears in his eyes.  
“I’m sorry, Joseph. I never wanted to get any of you involved. But unfortunately, the four of you are the people that he cherishes the most. Which is why you here.” She stated matter-of-factly.  
Josh jumped up from the floor where he had been sitting and shook the bars violently.  
“NO! No, you are not going to do this to me! Do you hear me? Open this fucking cell and let us the fuck go!” He steamed at the top of his lungs.  
The room went silent. Her eyes burned solely on him as she rose from her seat. The intensity of her stare backed him slowly until he fell on the bed behind him. She grabbed a set of keys from Johnathan and opened the cell.  
“Do you have any idea what you PUT ME THROUGH!?!” She roared and hurled the glass above his head, shattering it over him.  
“You abandoned me, Josh. Treated me like I was nothing. I was so empty inside without you, baby.” She whispered.  
“I told you I was sorry. I made a mistake, one I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. What you’ve done is unforgivable…” He fired back, sinking the knife further into her seething hate.  
“Did you see what your death did to me? How much pain I had felt when I thought you had died? You have no idea do you? All you see is the women I screwed!”  
“You caused all this, Josh. All I ever asked for was your love and devotion. Honesty and monogamy. Was that so hard? You destroyed everything that I was. Now I’m going to destroy everything you are until there is nothing left and you’re begging me for death.” She smirked as she looked around.  
“I think we’ll start by age. Youngest first…Justin.” She glared at Josh as she spoke.  
“No. I’m not going anywhere with you.” He protested as he backed up against the wall in defiance.  
“You don’t have a choice.” She cooed to him as she moved toward him.  
Fear set in as she reached for him. They were not going to sit and watch their brother get killed. Joe jumped up and grabbed Denise in an attempt to overpower her and they stumbled back toward the bed where Josh was still sitting. He stole the opportunity when she fell to take one of the guns from her back. She punched Joe in his face and shoved him back to the floor as Johnathan pulled his weapon. Glancing over her shoulder she could see the glimmer of the gun to her head.  
“Wait!” She held her hand up to Johnathan not to shoot.  
“Jayce, What are you doing?” She asked lowly as she turned around to face him.  
He jumped back a step and attempted to steady his hand, his heart pounding in his chest.  
“Throw the keys to Chris.” He demanded.  
“Not gonna happen.” Johnathan responded.  
“Quiet. You know I can’t do that, sweetie, now put the gun down.”  
“What are you waiting for, J? Shoot her!” James shouted.  
“Yeah, kill the bitch!!” Chris joined in.  
The others egged him on yet he couldn’t seem to break away from her eyes.  
“You’re not going to shoot me, Josh. I know you better than that. Give me the gun, baby.”  
“No, don’t do that. Don’t act like everything is okay when it’s not. You killed my girlfriend, my family, and now you expect me to just sit here and watch you kill my friends too! Give me the keys, Marissa.” He protested.  
The others just gaped at them in silence. They didn’t know what had happened while unconscious and none of them had time to talk.  
“So what’s your plan? You gonna shoot me? Then what?” She wondered, taking a step closer toward him.  
“Johnathan here isn’t the only one with you in his sights. So, yeah, you shoot me. But my associates will shoot them and leave you here to rot. Either way, your friends will die, now GIVE ME THE GUN!” Stepped forward again, pushing the gun against her chest.  
Josh started to shake uncontrollably. The others shouted at him to pull the trigger. Johnathan shouted for him to put it down. But through all this, Denise and Josh stayed focused on each other. Waiting for the other to stammer for even a single moment…  
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll make you a deal, baby. One you can’t pass up. You shoot me…And I will let them walk.” She proposed.  
“What are you doing?” Johnathan muttered lowly.  
“Shut up!” She yelled back without taking her eyes off of Josh.  
“So what’s it gonna be? A life for a life? I’ve already killed so many of your loved ones, Joshua. Go ahead, shoot me.”  
“J, man, just do it do we can go home.” Joe pled.  
“Save your friends, Josh. Kill me.”  
“No.”  
“Pull the trigger, Jayce!” James shouted.  
“Do it.” She instigated.  
“I can’t.”  
“Do it!” She pushed harder at the gun.  
“No! I won’t become you!” He screamed.  
After what seemed like an eternity, Josh knew in his mind he wouldn’t be able to do it. No matter how much pain she had caused or how much he hated her, he didn’t have it in him to kill her. His face shifted slightly and he started to lower the gun. With lightning speed, Denise ripped it from him and smacked him across the face dropping him back to the bed. Blood spilled out from his temple where the butt of the gun had landed and Josh writhed in pain.  
“You’re pathetic! Weak! I don’t understand how I ever loved you.” She belted as she hit again, this time across the back.  
“AHH!!” Josh screamed at the top of his lungs as he felt the heavy steel impact his shoulder blade.  
Every nerve in his body sent waves of pulsating heat through and jolted every muscle. Denise hovered over him to lean down and whisper in his ear.  
“You will watch everyone you love die for what you did to us…” She reminded as she pushed herself up, walked over to the gate, and pulled out the set of keys from the cell door. She threw the keys at Justin and raised her gun in his direction.  
“Unlike him, sweetie, I will shoot. Unlock yourself and let’s go.” She stated matter-of-factly.  
Justin hesitated. He knew in his heart that he was going to die. At least if she was busy with him then his friends would have a chance to figure out a way to escape. He bent over slowly and picked up the keys, subjecting to her demand. The others begged him not to go. Josh just continued to lay on his side, silent tears falling from his eyes. The chain removed, he tossed the keys back to her and walked toward the door.  
“Let’s get this over with.”  
Denise grabbed him by his arm and told Johnathan to lock the cell and go ahead.  
“I don’t think he’s going to be much trouble.” She said as he heard the gun to his back cock.  
“Will you?”  
“No, Denise.” Justin responded.

 

Denise escorted him out of the room and walked down to the room she had spent so much time in since she had been back home. Her bedroom. She closed the door behind them and let him go.  
“I don’t understand.” He said as he looked around at his surroundings.  
“Seven years ago, my life changed. And not in the way you think…” She started.  
“I needed answers. I needed a friend, and you were there. Even through everything we were, you have always been good to me.”  
“Yeah, I know. What…”  
“Stop. Don’t try to analyze me, okay? Just don’t. That’s not why you’re here anyway.” Denise interrupted as she made her way closer to him.  
Justin tiptoed backwards, anxiety taking over.  
“You’re here because I want to make you a deal.”  
“What kind of deal?” He asked nervously.  
“One where you get to live.” She finished, turning her back to him and walking over to the fireplace and focused on the flickers of beautiful light.  
“I’m listening.” Justin blurted out, the ego peeking its interest.  
A smile crept over her face.  
“Help me.”  
“What?!?” He jumped back in total disbelief.  
Denise held her hand out behind her, beckoning him to her side. Once again, he complied. His nerves seemed to ease when he grabbed her hand.  
“Look in the mirror, Justin. What do you see?” She pulled him closer to her.  
“Me.”  
“Not who. What do you see?”  
“An entertainer. Young, good looking, full of promise.” Justin said as he began to admire his reflection.  
“Exactly! Just beginning a long lasting, phenomenal career. A solo career.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.  
“I can see it now, baby. Your name in lights. Millions of fans, lining up just to see you. But imagine more…”  
“More?”  
“More, baby. The sole survivor of a horrific tragedy. Think of the sympathy, think of the response. Everyone’s attention on you. I see your face on the cover of every magazine. Thousand dollar suit on your beautiful, soft body. And an even more beautiful woman on your arm.” She toyed, watching his eyes and running her hands over his arms, as she baited him in.  
“A beautiful woman like you?” He wondered, turning around to face her.  
“Maybe…” She continued to tease.  
Her hands made their way down to his forbidden place. Rock hard and begging to be touched by her. Justin had his own secret. He was always jealous of Joshs’ relationship with her. He thought she was too good for him, that she should have been his.  
Justins eyes rolled into the back of his head as his mind wandered to the sweet promises that were made. The glory that should have always been his. 

They don’t deserve to be on stage with me.  
He doesn’t deserve to be as famous as I am.  
God, he doesn’t deserve her…

“I’m in.” He panted, sealing the deal with a kiss.  
Denise accepted, impressed with her own powers of persuasion. After a moment, she broke herself from him and took him by the hand once more.  
“Come.” She muttered out, lightly.  
Justin followed her back down the hall to the room across from his friends. She opened the door and walked in ahead of him to talk to Johnathan.  
“He’s okay.” She quickly stated, seeing the worried look on his face.  
Johnathan nodded and uncovered the top half of the body. Justin stepped back in bemusement, the man on the table resembled him entirely.  
“Took us awhile to find a look alike. I had to call in a few favors to get this body.” Johnathan said.  
“What do you need me to do?” Justin gulped loudly.  
“We need you to die.” She laughed.  
“He needs to believe your dead. The camera up there is set to come in with static so he can’t see this clearly. There’s a microphone in the next room with a video set up. We just need you to make him believe that it’s you.” Denise instructed.  
“I don’t know if I can do this.” He shook his head.  
“It’s easy, sweetie. Same as voice over work. Just think of this as a movie. Some screams and gurgles, then you’re done.” She walked over to him and went to his ear.  
“I’ll make it worth your while when this is over. You have my word, my love.” She whispered.  
He ran his hand through her hair and took in her scent. It was intoxicating to his senses.  
“Alright. Let’s do it.”  
She went into the next room with him and showed him the equipment. Connecting the camera, Denise showed him how to work everything, including how to turn it off when it was over.  
“You’ll be able to hear me from the other room. Just listen and watch the video. When he starts on the body, you start screaming for your life. You’ll know when he is done. Are you ready for this?” She held his hands, feeling the sweat that clammed upon his skin.  
He took a deep breath and nodded in response. She placed her hand on his cheek and laid a tender kiss on his lips.  
“You can do this, baby. And when it’s over, I’ll be waiting in my room.” She turned to leave, shutting the door behind him.  
Johnathan stood in the hallway, glaring at the smile she had on her face.  
“What?” She asked.  
“Nothing. I’m ready when you are.” He answered, as he went back into the room, slamming it shut a lot harder than he intended.  
Johnathan cursed himself as he organized his surgical tools on the table. He would never tell her how he felt. Never admit his feelings for her, even though after their last encounter, he figured it would be obvious now. Everything was going off as planned. She had successfully turned Joshua’s very own best friend against him and had the edge to his torment. Then why did he feel all this animosity towards what she was doing? Was is the jealousy of Justin? Or was it her darkest secret that moved his heart to change her? He shook away his thoughts and prepared for the task at hand.  
Denise stood in confusion as the door slammed in front of her. Was he mad at her for something? It suddenly raised more questions than answers, so she decided it would be best to let it go for now and went back into the prison room.  
“Where’s Justin?” Chris yelled to her.  
She paid them no mind as she set up a television and surveillance system that was in the corner of the room. A set up eerily familiar to Josh. He sobbed harder at the memory of watching his family die and the thought of being subjected to it all over again.  
“Please…” He plead through his tears.  
She smacked the side of the screen and cursed loudly about the reception. Sarah and Donnie watched from the other side of the glass in both admiration and fear.  
“Do you think this will work?” Donnie wondered out loud, breaking the silence between them.  
“If it’s one thing Neice is good at, it’s using her sexual prowess to get what she wants. Remember, Don, this isn’t the first time she has gone off the deep end. I just hope she doesn’t take us with her.” Sarah said.  
“We promised we would stay and see this through, Sarah. I hope you’re right.” He worried as he knocked on the glass to inform her they were still there.  
Denise looked at them, then sat down in the chair once more. She stared blankly at the men and lost herself momentarily.  
“Pain, is such an overrated term.” She noted, coming around.  
They stared at her.  
“It’s such an immeasurable feeling compared to others. How much does one really know about what pain is?”  
Johnathan took his lead and picked up a scalpel and held his breath. They have gone over this routine a hundred times. He only prayed that Justin would hold up to his end of the bargain. If he didn’t, there are no words to describe what she would do to him.  
He flicked on the switch under the table and began to cut into his arm. Justin took his queue and began to scream for mercy. Desperate to prove his devotion to Denise.  
The others covered their ears in an attempt to block out their friends blood curdling cries for help.  
“How much is he going to suffer for the sins of his brother? How much pain can one man endure?” She continued.  
Johnathan moved the blade to the chest and began to make a Y incision. Justin intensified his voice and astounded even himself to his acting capabilities.  
“Stop this! No more, Marissa. Please just stop!!” Joshua shrieked, covering his ears and burying his knees into his body.  
“I gave you the chance to stop this, baby. All you had to do was answer the phone. Tell me you loved me. All you had to do was be there for me. Now I’m afraid, your oldest friend will be the one to pay for your transgressions.” She gaffed.  
Johnathan finally brought the blade to its throat for the final blow. He slid the knife across and leaned back as the machine forced a huge amount of blood all over him and the room.  
Justin let out one last gargle and let his cries and gasps fade into darkness. He turned off the mic and ran for the nearest bathroom. Sweat poured from his face as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. What had he done? He just betrayed the only friend he really had. A man that had once called him family. The room began to spin as he felt his head succumb to inevitable. He passed out on the bathroom floor.  
“Next, we’re going to play a little game.” She informed, taking in the agony she had caused her captives.  
“Who here knows what isolation is?” She asked.  
She laughed as the cries died down.  
“I have this beautiful room smaller than the size of a closet and I’m just dying to see if anyone can fit inside it. I just shudder to think of what that kind of confined space can do to someone…See you soon, James.” She let a spine shattering laugh as she turned off the television and left them to their sorrows.  
“You did this to us.” James murmured under his breath.  
“YOU CONDEMNED US TO DEATH ALL CAUSE YOU COULDN’T KEEP YOUR FUCKING DICK IN YOUR PANTS!!!” He screamed as he ran at him in confrontation.  
Joseph wrapped his arms around him and fought him to the ground. Chris pushed James to the ground to help stop him from attacking Josh.  
“Let him kill me, guys. Maybe if I’m dead, she’ll stop this.” Joshua moped.  
“Enough! James, leave him alone. We need to stick together now! It’s not his fault, okay? This bitch is crazy as hell. The only thing we can do for ourselves is try to find a way out.” He shook his hands at them and stepped back.  
“You’re right, Chris. I’m sorry, Jayce. It’s just…I’m claustrophobic, man. If she puts me in a tight space…” James shook in Joes arms.  
“Let’s try to figure out a way outta here.” Joe said, as he let James go and climbed to his feet, brushing off his pants.  
They all agreed to work together and began talking amongst themselves on how they would escape.  
Donnie shook his head as Sarah followed him out of the room.  
“How long do you think it’ll be before they realize they can’t get out of there?” Sarah questioned.  
“At least they have hope. Are we sure about this? I mean killing Josh, yeah, but the rest of them too?” He wondered, more to himself than to her.  
“I don’t know, hun. I just hope we finish this soon so we can get paid and I can go get laid.” Sarah giggled loudly.  
“What are they doing?” Denise appeared out of nowhere, startling the duo.  
“Holy shit! Don’t do that!” She shrilled.  
Denise laughed.  
“They’re just blowing time, trying to figure out how to escape.” Donnie joked.  
“Human nature. They’ll give up eventually. That’s all for tonight, guys. I want him to think about what’s happened today. And the longer he lingers in the dark, the better.” She directed to them as Johnathan joined them back in the hallway.  
“Johnathan, go check on her and get some rest. You got the night shift. Donnie head in their now. Do not under any circumstances tell them a damn thing. Got me?”  
“Yes, ma’am.” Donnie saluted and went in the room with them rest of the men.  
“I’ll take house patrol until tonight, Neice. Go get some rest.” Sarah said as she holstered her weapon and took off down the hall.  
“Thanks, girl” She answered and walked back toward her bedroom.  
“What about Justin?” Johnathan asked her.  
“I’ll keep him in my room tonight. He seemed a little upset about the whole thing so I’m gonna see if I can fix that and get his mind back on track.” She said and kept walking.  
“And if you can’t? Don’t forget what we talked about, Neice. If you won’t pull the trigger…I will.” Johnathan pronounced.  
“Remember your place, John. I haven’t forgotten why we are here.” She left him with that and went into her room.  
She looked around her room and didn’t see him anywhere. Panic rose in her throat as she called out his name. She turned toward her bathroom and saw a fragile Justin sprawled out on the linoleum floor. She walked over and sat by his side.  
“Justin?” She whispered as she ran her hand down his face.  
Nothing.  
She ran a wash cloth under some cold water and wiped the sweat from his brow as he started to come around.  
“What…”  
“Shhh, baby. You passed out. Try not to move so much.” She told him in a motherly tone to soothe him  
“I don’t think I can do this, Denise.” He began to cry as he rolled over into her lap.  
“It’s already done, J. He thinks you’re dead. All that’s left is for me to finish off the others and we’re home free.” She stated, placating to what he needed to hear.  
She shifted herself over and helped him off of the floor. Walking with him over to her bed she gently laid him down and rubbed his back. Her eyes caught his in a sudden moment of her own weakness and he pulled her down in a passionate kiss. She knew that he wanted her, needed her in that moment. He desperately wanted to have that reassurance of her commitment to him. Wanted to know she yearned for him the same way. Denise decided to give the man what he so deeply craved.  
And he took her, with everything he had. Every motion, he felt all the tension from his body slip away. Every thought faded to nothing but feeling her very essence. Falling into her desires and taking her in like a never ending drug. Addicted to the being that was this glamourous devil in his arms. Justin had never felt pleasure this extreme. She gave him everything he wanted until he could go no more. They felt the heat spill between them as they fell to bed, so close to succumbing to the quiet of the night.

Knock Knock.

“Your watch, Neice!” Sarah shouted from the other side of the door.  
Denise grunted as she looked at the time and climbed from the bed to get dressed. She listened to the door for her to walk away and turned to Justin who had gotten up to dress as well.  
“Can I leave this unlocked and trust you not to go walking around?” She asked, eyes intently on him.  
“Of course, babe. Look, I’m not gonna go in that room, okay? I wouldn’t do that to you.” He reminded her that he knew how to play along.  
“Good. I’m trusting you with this. If you go anywhere near there I’ll…” She pointed.  
The door opened.  
“Mommy!!”  
A beautiful young girl ran in the room and jumped into Denises arms. She had long red hair with piercing blue eyes and looked so much like her in feature.  
“Mommy, I’ve missed you so much!” She cried out.  
“I’ve missed you too, darling. But what did I tell you about just barging in my room like that?” She shunned.  
“Mommy?” Justin stammered after finally catching his breath.  
“Justin, this is my daughter, Jocelyn.” She informed as she placed her down by her side.  
He bent down on one knee and as the young girl waved to say hello.  
“Well, hello, Jocelyn. You’re a beautiful little girl. How old are you?” He asked.  
“Thank you. I’m six.” She answered, shyly.  
“Joce, hunnie, it’s really late. I want you to go get ready for bed, okay?” Denise told her, giving her a hug and kiss goodnight.  
“Okay, Mommy, I love you.” She pouted, as she said goodnight to Justin and ran off again.  
Silence filled the room while she finished getting herself together for her late night patrol of the house. As she put on her shoes, a look of total shock crossed Justins face.  
“She’s six?” He asked.  
“Yeah…I have to go relieve Sarah.” She knew where the conversation was going.  
Denise made haste toward the door on to have it block by Justins hand.  
“When is her birthday?” He asked, sternly.  
“Don’t push this, Justin.” She hissed, back to her icy demeanor.  
“Answer the question, dammit!”  
“July! Happy now? Can I get back to work?” She shouted, her patience wearing thin.  
“That’s why you needed to talk to him so bad that day when I spoke to you. You wanted him to know…” He stated pacing throughout the room.  
“Let it go!” She yelled, finger pointed at his face.  
“Why? You know he would’ve done anything for you. For her.” He cried.  
“He left me! Just like all the others! Just like…My daddy.” Her head dropped and somber tears fell from her eyes.  
She felt all the misery and pain from the ages flood her all at once and that familiar itch crept up the back of her spine.  
“It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t know, and you’ll never tell him!” She fumed, slamming the door behind her and locking him in for the night.  
Denise stepped back and the room began to spin.  
“Jooohhhnnnnaatthhhaannnn…” She gasped out as she fell to ground, her lungs aching for oxygen.  
Sarah screamed for him when she came around the corner to investigate the loud thud she heard as she was coming up the stairs. The others came rushing, even Donnie ran out from his post to see what was going on. Johnathan picked her up and brought her to the bedroom he had used for his belongings and placed her down gently. He went over and riffled through his bag and pulled out a pre-filled syringe with a solution made just for her. Taking the cap off, he searched for her vein and injected her with it. In moments, she let out a harsh cough and sucked in as much air as her lungs could take. Johnathan wiped the sweat from her face and told her to sleep. They would handle the guys for the night.  
Johnathan nudged his head at the door, ushering them out back to the hallway.  
“She’s getting worse, Johnny.” Sarah said, trying to keep her voice down.  
“It’s just the stress, okay? The doctors still don’t know what’s causing her body to shut down. She still has a chance.” He whimpered.  
“She’s dying, John. She knows it, we know it. If we wait any longer, she won’t be strong enough to see this through.” Donnie pointed out.  
“Don’t say that!” Johnathan snapped at him, pushing him away.  
“He’s right, hun. If she wants to finish this then we have to figure out a way to help her. Clearly we can’t change her mind.” She put her head in her hands to think.  
“John, we know how you feel about her, okay. But if we don’t help her and take some of the load off of her back, then this whole thing is going to kill her.” Donnie told him, placing his hands on his shoulders in comfort.  
“You are pretty much her second in command. What do you want us to do?” Sarah wearily asked, both her and Donnie looking at him and waited for his order.  
Johnathan looked over at her bedroom door and back over to his room. He tried to think of what she would want, what she would do next. He remembered the conversation she had with the captives after Justin’s death and an idea struck him.

The isolation room.

“Meet me in there in about an hour. I have an idea,” He smirked, pointing to the room where the guys were.  
The others nodded in acknowledgment and went off to get ready. Johnathan took his set of keys out and unlocked her bedroom door. He walked in and saw Justin pacing the floor with the strangest look on his face.  
“What the hell are you doing, man?” He asked him.  
“Why won’t she tell him? Why the big secret?” Justin looked over, tears in eyes.  
“She has a lot of secrets and she’s been through a lot in her life.” He answered, rolling his eyes, coldly.  
“But he deserves to know that he has a daughter!” Justin screamed.  
Johnathan ran over and placed his hand over his mouth.  
“Shut the fuck up! Do you want them to hear you?!?” He demanded.  
“Listen, I know he does but if anyone tells him but her, she’ll kill them. And I’m not dying for you.” He said, putting his hand down.  
“This isn’t right, bro.”  
“A long time ago, Denise watched her mother get abused by her father on a regular basis. He would beat her too. Then one day, he up and left. He just disappeared. Her mother blamed her for it just because she looked like him. In her eyes, Josh did the same thing to her and Jocelyn.” Johnathan informed him.  
“Her mother went crazy. She did all kinds of twisted things to her. I was the only friend she had back then. She would sneaky out every night to get away from her. Then one day, her mother vanished into thin air. They found her body shortly after, floating down the river. Police told everyone she jumped off of the cliff out there.”  
“But Denise doesn’t think so?” Justin asked, curious peeked.  
“No. She knows what happened to her. She just never said a word about it, not even to me.”  
“So it’s fear of abandonment. She doesn’t want him to know because she thinks he’ll do the same thing.” Justin said, more to himself than to Johnathan.  
“I don’t know, dude. All I know is she calls the shots. And right now, she needs your help.”  
“Anything…” He assured.  
“Denise is sick. She…she took some medicine but it made her fall asleep. I just need you to stay in the room and watch her. Make sure she’s okay. Can you do that?”  
Justin nodded and they went over to his room where her body lie peacefully sleep. He showed him a button by his side table that he needed to push if anything was to go wrong and she needed help. Justin told him he understood and not to worry.  
Johnathan locked the door as he left and went over to the room to begin the next phase of her plan.

 

He walked in, sat down in the chair and pull his gun from its holster. The guys stopped and stared at him.  
“What the hell do you want?” Joseph questioned.  
“Can I ask you something?” Joshua looked over at him from the corner he put himself in.  
“Depends on what you want to ask.”  
“Why did she say us when she talked to me?” He asked.  
Johnathan looked at him, lost for words.  
“Every time she says anything about what I did to her it’s always ‘us’ not just her.” He moved from his hiding spot and sat on the corner of the bed.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Josh.” He replied.  
“Cut the bullshit and tell me the truth!” The mattress squeaked from the pressure of his hands growing tighter in anger.  
Donnie and Sarah walked in the door and looked over at them. Johnathan pulled out his keys and unlocked the cell door.  
“If they try anything…Shoot them.” Johnathan said as he walked inside.  
He bent down, unlocked James’ chain, and aimed his gun at his head.  
“Move.” He said and pulled him out of the room.  
“Where is Marissa?!?” Josh yelled as he shook at the bars that closed behind them.  
Donnie and Sarah took hold of James and led him out into the hall.  
“It’s the isolation room for you, boy.” Johnathans demeanor changed as he followed them out.  
“NOOOOOOO! NO! PLEASE, DON’T PUT ME IN THERE! HELP ME!!! NO!” James screamed at the top of his lungs, fighting with all of his strength.  
They dragged him in arms down the stairs to the basement where there was a room made special just for him. They threw him against the wall and slammed it shut. His screams now muffled by the walls, James felt what little space he had closing in on him. There was a single light up above him with a vent for air. The bulb seemed on its last leg as it flickered ferociously mixing with the darkness. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, everything got dark as all he could hear was the sound of his agonizing cries and his racing heart.  
Johnathan pulled out a hidden duffle bag from behind where they were standing and handed it to Sarah. He pointed to the screen next to the door.  
“His vitals are here along with a camera shot of the room. He’ll either have a heart attack or he’ll pass out. In there is an AED and a shot of adrenaline. Keep him alive for as long as you can.” He said.  
“Yes, Johnathan.” She answered, suddenly a little scared herself of how he was acting.  
Donnie followed him back upstairs to return to his patrol of the halls while he went to check on Denise.  
She felt her heart flutter as she came to. Her eyes blurry from her ordeal as they came to focus on their surroundings.  
Justin…He had been there for her yet again. Her heart ached at how scared not only he but her crew must be.  
“How long have I been out?” She wondered, attempting to pull herself up on her elbows only to be pushed back down by an every worried Justin.  
“Not long, actually. Just lay back and relax. He said you took some medicine that made you tired so he wanted me to keep an eye on you.” Justin said worry laced in his tone.  
Denise stayed quiet for fear of revealing the reality of her situation. They sat for some time before Johnathan came back to check up on her. He took her vitals and told her she needed to take it easy for now and that everything was being seen to. This made her a little uneasy as she took note of the change in him. He seemed colder, yet strangely more dedicated to her cause. She smiled at him and turned on her side to rest. Johnathan thanked Justin for helping out then took his leave.  
After careful deliberation he went back into the room to sit down and address the guys.  
“Where the fuck is he? What did you do with him?” Chris steamed angrily.  
“He’s alive. For now…But for how long is up to you.” He sneered.  
“Up to who?” Joseph stammered out.  
“Josh.” He pointed out.  
“She has a very direct, unethical way of dealing with things…”  
“That’s an understatement.” Snickered Chris.  
“HOWEVER, I am a more simple man. See she wants to draw out your demise as I would prefer to just shoot you in the head and be done with it.” He stated matter-of-factly.  
“Thanks.”  
“What you did was fucked up, bro. You hurt her like everyone else in her life has. Everyone except…us. The people you see here.”  
“Why is she doing this to me? All I did was cheat on her. Do I really deserve this?” He bit back the tears that were threatening to emerge.  
“Honestly…No. In my opinion, you deserve it. But not everyone else.”  
“Then why?”  
“It’s a long story, man. But let’s just say, you were not the first.” He started.

Justin laid down in the bed with Denise and swiftly feel asleep. She, however, couldn’t even catch a wink. Something in the back of her mind kept telling her to get up. Something was wrong and she could feel it. Silently, she slipped from his arms and crept out of the door, shutting it as quiet as she could muster. Donnie was walking down the hall and ran over to see if she was alright.  
“I’m fine, Don. Where is Johnny at?” She looked both ways.  
“He’s taking the night watch with the guys, what’s left of them anyway.” Laughed Donnie.  
“What the hell happened after I fell out?” She asked, grabbing her head, which was now pulsating to its own beat.  
He told her everything Johnathan had done and she had to admit, she was damn proud. He took matters into his own hands and carried out her wishes without hesitation or flaw. Then why did she have this strange feeling that something was off? She told him to go down and check on Sarah while she tried to figure something out. He complied, then ran off toward the stairs.  
Back in the room, Johnathan had told them all about what had happened with her parents in an attempt to get them to understand why she was the way she was.  
“About ten years ago, we were staying in North Carolina and she met this boy. He was a good looking guy and had the most beautiful hazel eyes that she said use to drive her wild. Well, his parents owned a farm on the out skirts of town. One day she went there looking for him and he was nowhere to be seen. It was a horrible day, I’m talking serious rain and lightning. She ran out to the barn to check there and she walked in to see him screwing another girl. She told me that she watched for a moment before she called me absolutely hysterical. By the time I got to her, she was standing next to a humongous tree, completely soaked, and the barn was lit up like the sun. Everyone claimed it was a strike from the lightning, I know better.” He finished.  
Without warning, the door to the room flew open. There stood a beyond raging Denise, eyes like green stone, burning a hole straight into him. He guessed there would be no point in asking if she had heard their conversation. He was right.  
Meanwhile, Justin woke up to empty arms and a cold bed. He had guessed that she was at it again. He opened the door and looked around in the hall. Nobody was there. He slipped down the hall and came to a grand staircase in an even more magnificent room. Continuing down, he took in his surroundings, reveling in is beauty. He soon came across another set of stairs that went down further into the house. Justin paused and looked back upstairs.  
She said not to go in the guys’ room. She didn’t say I couldn’t look around the rest of the house. Justin thought to himself as he turned back and walked cautiously down to the darkness of the basement.  
Sarah paced back and forth in front of the door, her bladder threatening to give in. She knew that she was supposed to watch James but the bathroom began to call her name.  
“Fuck it.” Said Sarah as she took off down the opposite direction to find a bathroom to use.  
Justin kept going against his better judgment and came to a long hallway with a few rooms along it. In the distance he could hear a feint beeping noise. It sounded erratic and fast in pace. He walked down some more and found the source of the noise. A locked door in front of him with a small monitor next to it on the wall. The screen was monitoring someone’s vital signs and was also a camera shot of the inside of the room apparently. Justin, curious, pushed a button on the screen and the image changed to an overview shot of a terrified James curled up against the bottom of the floor. He was hyperventilating and crying hysterically for mercy. He quickly pulled at the lock to try to open the door. Without warning, the door opened itself up and James fell out gasping for air.  
Justin helped him up and walked over to another room, careful to close his chamber of torture behind him. He kicked open the next door, both of them fell inside. Justin looked around could see tons of wine bottles littered all over wooden shelves. At least he knew they would be safe.  
“Justin?!?” James coughed out.  
“Are you okay? Just breathe and don’t move. You looked like you were having a heart attack.” Replied a worried Justin as he checked his pulse.  
“How? We saw you die.” He panted, breathing finally returning to normal.  
Justin’s head dropped in silence.  
“Listen, I just can’t bear to see anything happen to you, bro. You’re one of my best friends. And one of the only ones I could ever count on to have my back.”  
“J…”  
He got up and walked over to the door.  
“I’m not gonna justify what I did. You need to hide somewhere. If they find you, they’ll kill you.” Justin explained.  
“Why are you doing this? You’re helping her kill your friends!” He protested.  
“Shhhh! Just get somewhere and hide.” He shunned and ran back up to the room.  
James sat on the floor in total disbelief that this man, this person he once considered his brother, had turned against them.

 

Meanwhile, Denise had dragged Johnathan into the next room to keep anyone from hearing their conversation. As soon as she shut the door, she turned around and slapped him right across the face, leaving him stunned.  
“Neice, wait, just let me explain.” He pled.  
“Explain what? How the only person I can trust is running his mouth the enemy? Just tell them everything, Johnny!” She screamed.  
“Can you just let me explain, please? I didn’t tell them everything, okay. You said you wanted to teach them a lesson. This is about more than just pain, Neice, this is about understanding. He needs to know what he’s done and why he is being punished. He needs to know what he lost. Everything that he lost” He said.  
“If you are referring to my daughter, you can forget it. I’m not dragging her into this. She shouldn’t have to…” Denise started.  
Before she could finish, Donnie and Sarah came bursting through the door, both rambling out of breath at the same time.  
“Calm down! What the hell is going on?!” The worry laced in Johnathans voice.  
“It’s James! He’s missing!” Donnie proclaimed.  
“WHAT!?!” Denise yelled as they all ran toward the basement.  
Upon reaching the isolation room, the door hung open and empty. They stood for a moment, lost for words at this unexpected development.  
“What the fuck happened, Sarah? You were supposed to be watching the door!” Denise snapped as she threw her up against the wall.  
“I went to the bathroom, Neice. The door was locked. There is no way in hell he could’ve gotten out.” She pushed her back.  
“Denise, she’s right. He couldn’t have gotten out from the inside. I designed this room myself.” Defended Donnie.  
Denise stepped back against the wall and closed her eyes. Thoughts raced in her head as she tried to piece it all together. Her mind shut everyone else out as they fought amongst themselves to push the blame on each other.  
“Shut it!” She scorned, coming back to her senses.  
“Donnie, you and Johnathan meet me in the guys’ room. Sarah, I don’t care what you have to do, find him.” Denise instructed, and made her way casually back up to Johnathan’s bedroom.  
She walked into the bedroom and smiled. Justin looked up, trying desperately to hide to shattered look on his face as he smiled back. She tiptoed over, swaying her hips like a fiery feline and stopped right in front of him. Her hands on his shoulders, the scent of her body filled the very depths of his soul, barring all memory of his allegiances from sight. Lust driven and fueled with anger toward his former brothers, Justin took in every soft curve of her voluptuous body.  
“Do you want me?” Denise asked.  
“Yeah…”  
“Do you love me?”  
“Yeah…”  
Denise pushed him down to the bed, climbed on top slowly, and kissed him roughly. Just how she knew he liked it.  
“I need to end this baby. Help me finish them.” She begged.  
“How?”  
“Chris…”  
Justins head reeled into a blissful haze while she toyed with his most sensitive places.  
“What is he afraid of, baby? What does he fear?”  
She kissed him once more, hands pulling him deeper into her spell. He couldn’t think, couldn’t see.  
“Heights…” He muttered.  
“Would you do anything for me?”  
“Anything…”  
“Would you kill for me?”  
Justin lifted his head in bemusement.

Johnathan and Donnie stood against the mirror, annoyed with the constant begging from the captives. Denise walked in the room with the biggest sinister smile on her face and walked over to whisper to her team what she had in store. She stepped back and opened the cell door for them to go inside.  
“What’s going on?” Joseph asked.  
“Another angel has gracefully fallen. Time to send another to heaven.” She laughed as they shoved Chris out the door into the hall.  
Josh glared at her in defeat, surrendering to his inevitable fate. Once they had left, Joe looked over to make sure the door was indeed shut.  
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing, bro.” He said.  
“We’re chained to the floor behind a locked cell, behind a locked door in a locked house. What are we supposed to do?”  
“She’s killing us one by one, Jayce. I’m not just gonna sit here and do nothing.”  
He started to pace around the small room and looked around for anything that he can use, searching every inch around him. A small glimmer crossed his eye from under the bed Josh was sitting on. He crawled under the bed, stretching the length of his chain, and reached for the obscure object just in his reach. He backed out to reveal what turned out to be a child’s bobby pin. They looked up and smiled at each other.

 

Moments later, the rain picked up and flashes of light and noise filled the air. Donnie and Jonathan dragged a screaming Chris out from the roof access and up the platform toward the edge of the house. His pleas for mercy were shrouded by the rumbling thunder above him. Denise twirled around in torrential downpour, feeling free as the water soaked into her body. Her body glowed in response to the seconds of streaming white light.  
“What’s the matter, Chris?” Teased Denise.  
“Too high for you?”  
She slipped behind him and ran her hands through his wet hair. The scent of fear fueled her intent as she nudged him closer to the edge, and reached her hand behind her. The guys stepped back, letting his arms go, only to be grabbed by another set of hands from behind.  
He looked around, hell bent on finding a way out of his situation, and noticed a secondary balcony below.  
“Hey, Chris…”  
His heart stopped, when an impossibly familiar voice whispered in his ear.  
“Joke your way out of this one.” Justin laughed as he cast his friend to the darkness.  
Denise walked over and pulled away his gaze away from the edge. She could see the pain in his eyes, even though the rain had washed away his tears. He brought his head down to hers and fell back into her stare. Lost to the world.

“Jammmeessssss…” Sarah toyed, dragging her military knife down the wall of the basement hallway.  
“Come out, come out, wherever you are…ha”  
She had searched all of the house with no sign of her hostage anywhere so she returned back downstairs to look again. He was nowhere to be found so she figured he hadn’t left from down there. Room by room, Sarah trashed every room in search of the man until she finally came to the last place on the floor. The wine cellar.  
Carefully, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Cold air rushed over her face as she shut it behind her, and reached for the light switch. The light bulb cut on then blew out just as fast. She flickered it a few times, cursing her lack of luck. She was looking over the wires on the wall when a light shuffle caught her attention. Sarah turned quickly and made her way carefully over in the direction of the noise. Lightning lit up the room, giving her what light she could use to investigate around the different barrels that lay in the back of the room.  
James instinctively waited until Sarah was in front of the stack of barrels he was hiding behind and pushed it over on to her with all his might. She fell over from the weight of the wine and he took the chance to run for the door. Hands trembling, he fumbled with the doorknob. She climbed to her feet and lunged at him with the knife, barely missing his head. James grabbed her hand and they struggled to the ground for control of the knife, fighting to stay alive. The knife flew out of her hand to the middle of the room. Sarah kicked him in the groin and crawled toward the weapon with James groaning behind her. He shook off the pain and pulled her back by her ankle as he tried to get there first. They fought, taking cheap shots at each other, until Sarah managed to grab the knife and push herself on top of him. Stabbing over and over again, James shifted his body back and forth dodging her attacks. Finally, he got a hold of her arm with one hand and used his other to sneak a punch to her stomach. She screamed out in pain as she was violently shoved over, once again losing the blade. James jumped up and bolt for the knife before she could recover. He heard the rushed footsteps and whirled around, knife in hand, and closed his eyes. The fighting came to a sudden stop. He peeked open his eyes to see his attacker slowly shuffling back. Blood seeped from her mouth as she fell to the floor. Her eyelids fluttered shut as her lungs released their final breath. James dropped to his knees, when he felt a strange pain in his side, realizing Sarah didn’t miss.  
Justin fell to the bed once he got back to the room and finally released the breath he felt he had been holding the whole night.  
“Are you all right?” She asked, lying down beside him.  
“Fine. I just want this done and over with so we can move on.” He answered, kissing her forehead lightly.  
“Me too. I gotta go check on something, okay. Be right back.” She jumped up and sped out of the room, not giving him the chance to ask anything.  
“Donnie, what the hell is taking Sarah so long?”  
“We can’t find her, Neice.” Johnathan confirmed, coming out of the captives room.  
“We’ll go look for her, and don’t come back without the boy.” She directed as she walked in the room to speak with Josh once more.  
“Where’s Chris? What did you do to him, you crazy bitch?!?” Joseph demanded.  
“Dead.” Smirked Denise as she paced the floor, still not sure what to do with this one.  
“Marissa…” He cried.  
The door burst open and a small red headed child flew over to the woman.  
“Jocelyn, what have I told you about coming in here? You know this is mommy’s special room. What were you thinking?” Scolded Denise as she scooped the girl up into her arms.  
“I’m sorry, mommy. The noise scared me.” She cried, tears flowing down her rosy cheeks.  
Jocelyn looked over at the boys and smiled. Joe and Josh’s mouths dropped.  
“Mommy, who’s that?”  
“We talked about this already, sweetie.”  
Johnathan walked in the doorway.  
“Now I want you to go with Uncle John and go back to bed, okay?”  
“Yes, ma’ am.”  
Denise passed her off and shut the door behind them trying desperately to keep her eyes away from him.  
“Oh, my god.” Joe whispered as he sat himself down, his mind assessing what he just saw.  
Those eyes, and that smile. The fury in Josh’s eyes were more than transparent.  
“Why?” Asked Josh through his teeth.  
“Would it have changed anything?”  
“I had a right to know! How could you keep something like that from me?!?”  
Denise walked toward the door.  
“NO! Not this time, Marissa. This time you are going to answer me! Now sit.”  
She glared at him, hand itching to reach for her gun and silence him for good. But, this time she decided to humor his request and walked over to the chair in the corner and sat down.  
“Why didn’t you tell me I had a daughter?”  
“The day I found out, I tried to call you. You wouldn’t return my calls. Someone had sent me pictures of you, pictures of what you were doing with those girls. I decided it was for the best. It wouldn’t have changed anything between us. It wouldn’t have stopped you from being anything more than a whore.”  
“You don’t know that. You have no right…”  
“Please! You men are all the same. Fuck anything that walks, anyone that’ll open its legs for you. I wasn’t raising my child around that. You didn’t want me, so I know you don’t want her.”  
“How can you think like that? I loved you, Mar. I made a mistake and got swept up in the celebrity façade. I never meant to hurt you. What do I have to do to get you to see that?” He cried.  
“What’s her name?”  
Denise held back her tears. She looked at him and finally saw the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago. Her once cold heart threatened to melt before him.  
“Jocelyn Skylar…” Her voice hitched as she said his last name.  
“I thought she should at least have your name. She has everything else from you. Your eyes, your voice. She only got my hair.” She chuckled.  
“How old is she?”  
“Six”  
“Can I…”  
“No.” Her head throbbed, blurring her eyes momentarily.  
She stormed out and ran towards the stairs.  
“Neice!” Johnathan called.  
She stopped, afraid to turn around.  
“Get Donnie, and grab Joseph. He is next on the list. When the time comes…I’ll kill Josh myself.” And with that, she continued down the steps and headed for the basement to search for Sarah.  
Looking for her friend had proved a worthy distraction as she pushed back her emotions about her former lover and the conversation they had. She called her name as she peeked into the rooms and stopped at the wine room. She glanced over and saw the lit screen next to the isolation room. Walking over, Denise looked back and forth to make sure no one was around so she could fiddle with the settings. An option popped up that would allow her to see the last logged entry placed in the system. What she saw on the screen made her blood boil.

Last logged entry: Door unlocked  
Authorized user: P. JOHNATHAN

Johnathan found Donnie and went back to the room to grab Joseph from the cell. He walked in, leaving the door open behind him and unlocked the cell. Donnie stepped in and reached for the chain, when he was rushed by Joshua and pushed into the wall. Before Johnathan could reach for his gun, Joe jumped out of the cell and pushed him back into the glass behind him, nearly shattering from the force. Over his shoulder, he heard his friend wrestling around with Donnie and turned to help. Johnathan grabbed him and a fight ensued between the two. Blow for blow the four men punched and kicked at each other until finally Joseph had managed to pick up Johnathan and throw him through the glass window, knocking him out instantly. By now, Josh and Donnie were out of the cell fighting in the corner. Josh picked up the chair and knocked Donnie to the ground. He looked over and saw the television was still there. Donnie spit blood at him.  
“Go to hell!” He taunted.  
“You first.” Replied Josh as he sent the TV crashing down on his head.  
“Jayce, come on. We gotta get outta here before she comes back.” Joe said as he dragged his friend from the room and down the hall, away from the stairs.  
Moments later, a very pissed off Denise came running up the stairs and suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She saw the door open and through the door, the cell was open as well. She pulled out her gun and slowly made her way around the corner into the room.  
“Donnie!” She screamed in fear of the sight before her.  
She ran to his side and pushed off the television in horror. His face bloody and his eyes blank, she felt for a pulse. Denise brought her head down to his and began to sob. The pain of losing one of her best friends caused her to belt out in rage. Someone was going to pay for this. Glass shifted behind her. She lifted her gun and walked over to the hole in the wall and saw Johnathan moaning in agony. Her heart raced as she jumped through the hole and fell to his aid. He pulled himself up and apologized.  
“I failed you…” He whimpered.  
“No, baby, you didn’t. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”  
“I’ll be alright. Where’s Donnie?”  
Denise dropped her head and stayed silent.  
“Sarah?”  
“I don’t know where she is.” She admitted.  
“Well this thing went to hell fast.” He smirked, shyly, as he climbed to his feet.  
“Yeah. It’s time to put an end to this. They’re going to die for what they’ve done.”  
“Couldn’t agree more.” He said, grabbing her hand.  
“Let’s find these fuckers!”  
He pulled out his gun and they set out into the house, in search of the elusive duo.

Josh and Joe ran down the corridor and checked every door until they got to the end of the hallway. In front of them was a darkened stairway. They hesitated to walk down at first, but then they heard a woman scream from the other side of the house. Undoubtedly, she had discovered what they had done. It was now or never and they certainly couldn’t afford to wait another minute to escape for they knew if they were caught, she would kill them for sure.  
“Our worse fate is death, bro. I’d rather face whatever is down those stairs then deal with your girls’ wrath.” Joe stammered, walking cautiously down the stairway.  
“I hear that.” He laughed behind him.  
At the bottom of the stairs was another long hallway that was dark and damp. They concluded it was the basement and kept going. Around the corner, a door opened and a man fell out. They peeked to see who it was and prepared themselves for the worst. They were shocked to see that it was none other than their lost brother.  
“Oh, shit. He’s alive!” Joe said, taking off down the hall, Josh close on his heel.  
James laid on the ground, fiercely gripping at his side, blood covering most of his torso. Josh lifted his shirt carefully to examine the extent of his wounds and he was surprised that as much as it was bleeding, it wasn’t fatal.  
“He’s going to be okay. Keep pressure on it.” Josh assured, as he ripped the sleeve off of his shirt and gave it to him.  
Slowly, they lifted him off of the floor and headed back in the direction they had come from.  
“I could feel cold air coming from down the other hall. That’s got to be a way out.”  
“I hope you’re right. I need a doctor.” James laughed.  
“Well, you do look like shit, bro.” Josh laughed with him.  
Further down the other hall, the air seemed to get colder when they got to the end. An oversized green metal door lie in their path. They opened it carefully and peeked inside. It was a locker room, and in the distance they could see an entrance into an underground pool. Joe suggested he go check to see if the coast is clear in order to give James a chance to relax and catch his breath.  
“Stay with him, okay, he doesn’t look so well.” Joe said and took off down the aisle of lockers.  
James grew paler by the minute. He had lost a lot of blood and his friends were worried sick about him. After a few minutes, Josh noticed that Joseph hadn’t returned yet. He began to get antsy and figured he should go look for him. He laid James down and reassured him that everything was going to be alright.  
He walked around the corner, calling out his name, and stopped when he saw him standing at the pool door.  
“Joey, what the fuck is going on?” He asked, storming toward him.  
He whispered the word sorry and was shifted over to the side, gun to the back of his head.  
“Leaving so soon, baby? But I thought we were having fun?” Toyed Denise.  
Joshua stopped dead in his tracks, putting his hands up.  
“Don’t, Marissa. Please?” He begged.  
She shot at the locker next to him as a warning.  
“Stop fucking calling me that! Marissa is gone!”  
“Okay, okay. What do you want?”  
“For you to die.” Johnathan laughed from behind him, cocking the gun at his head.  
“But I thought…”  
“What? That your boyfriend over there killed me? Sorry to disappoint.”  
Denise laughed out loud and kicked Joseph to the ground.  
“If you think that was shocking, I got one better.” She giggled.  
“Why don’t you come out, baby, and say hello?”  
Another gun cocked from behind him as a hooded figure came out to his side. A look of confusion crossed their faces until he revealed himself to them.  
“Surprised to see me, bro?” He gaffed.  
“Honestly…I’m not. You always were egotistical.” Joe stated, coldly.  
“I was talking to the only other member that actually mattered! The look on your face is priceless, Jayce.”  
“At this point, Justin, nothing surprises me. So what are you gonna do, shoot me?”  
“Whoa, Joshua grew some balls!” She jumped back, shrieking.  
“What do you think she’s gonna do to you once she’s done with us? Be with you?” He taunted.  
“Hey, better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path, right?”  
“You’re a fool.”  
“You gonna let him talk to you like that, babe? I don’t think that he believes you’ll do it.”  
Justins hand slightly trembles.  
“Sexual Kryptonite, isn’t she? I know what she does, J. She gave me that same look once. Until I realized how controlling she could be, I got pulled into her spell too. Look at me, bro. We we’re best friends once. Don’t let her do this to you.” He pled to him, genuinely.  
Justin lost himself in thought. They had known each other for so many years, since they were kids. All the laughs they had in their life together. The blood, sweat and tears shed throughout that seven year span as a group ran through his mind. Then he realized, this wasn’t just his friend he was trying to kill…It was his brother.  
“What are you waiting for? Kill him. End his treachery, for good!” She demanded.  
Josh closed his eyes and bowed his head, prepared for the worst. In an instant, Johnathans eyes shot to Denise and his breathing hitched. He reached for his back and looked at his hand, covered in blood.  
“Denise…” He gasped out and fell to the floor.  
“NO!!!” She shrilled.

BANG!!!

Both Joe and Josh opened their eyes to see what had happened, looking each other over to see if either was hurt. James fell over in pain next to Johnathan who lie face down with Sarah’s knife in his back. Joseph ran over to him to help him. Josh looked over at his former lover, on the ground, in a pool of her own blood. He turned and slowly grabbed the gun from Justin and pulled him into his arms. Justin broke down, the realization of what he had done, broke him.  
“Shhh, it’s okay.”  
Joe pulled James arm over his shoulder and told them they had to keep moving.  
“Come on, we gotta go” Josh shook Justin out of it as they headed towards the pool room.  
Denise shot up and gasped for air, pain racing through her side. Blood seeped everywhere. She crawled over to Johnathan and turned him on his side.  
“I’m sorry, Johnny. I am so sorry I put you through all of this. I can’t…”  
He looked up and smiled, coughing up spurts of blood.  
“I never got a chance to tell you…I love you, Marissa. I always have. I wish…I wish I could’ve taken away your pain.”  
“You did, in ways no one else could.”  
“About James…” He stammered.  
"I know, Johnny. I don’t care anymore.” She cried, running her hands through his hair.  
“Don’t cry, girl, I taught you better than that. I want you to promise me something.”  
“Anything.”  
“Don’t let us die in vain. Finish…Finish what we started.”  
Johnathan closed his eyes and his hand fell to the ground.  
“John? Johnny? Don’t leave me…Please, baby? No…” Her heart shattered into a million pieces against his body as she rested his head gently to the ground.  
“I love you too…I’ll keep my promise. See you soon, baby.” Whispered Denise, kissing his lips and struggling to her feet.  
She limped toward the pool door and peeked through the glass. In the distance, she could see the men on the opposite side of the pool, attempting to break the lock to the emergency exit. A smirk crossed her face when she looked down and noticed that they hadn’t taken her gun with them.

“What the fuck? There’s got to be a way out of here!” Shouted Joe, as he kicked the door again.  
“Calm down, Joey. We’ll find something.” Justin said, while he searched through one of the crates on the ground.  
Joshua broke a glass box that held an emergency fire ax and sped back over to the door.  
“Watch out.” He nodded, swinging at the chain.  
The chain broke and fell to the floor. Joe picked it up and tossed it to the side, laughing. Justin popped open the door, and the rain poured in, lightning flashed in the distance. The guys all laughed. At the moment, they had never been so happy to see the outside, even in a storm.  
They said their own prayers, readying themselves to brave the pending tsunami and run for their lives once more. A loud thud came from behind them. Joe turned quickly around and came face to face with the lock and chain he had just tossed away. He felt to the ground, knocked unconscious beside James who had met the butt of her gun. The others gaped at the sight of the gun pointed at them as they heard a faint bang over the crash of thunder above. Justin flew back from the gunshot.  
“I knew you were a pussy. Should’ve listened to your friend. Now you die anyways.” She chuckled, bring the gun back up to him.  
“Hey, Marissa, Why don’t you get what you really came for?” He yelled to her, slamming the door behind him.  
She shot at the door, the glanced down at Justin.  
“I’ll be back for you.” She winced, giving chase to her main target.  
Bullets flew passed his head as he made his way up to the cliff. There was nowhere else for him to go. He couldn’t see in the storm and he had no idea how to use the gun he had taken from Justin earlier. All hope of that thought had faded as he tripped on a rock he hadn’t seen and the gun fell out of his pants, out of reach. When he went for it, a shot had landed near him and he turned to run again until he couldn’t go any further. She slowed her pace, coming to the top of the hill, and wiped the water from her face. Lightning flashed everywhere around them, rain flooded the land, and the wind gave no quarter as it brutally pushed them around.  
“Nowhere else to run, Jayce.”  
“Stop this, Denise.”  
“You could’ve stopped this a long time ago!”  
He back closer to the edge and nearly lost his footing.  
“Careful, baby. Wouldn’t want you to fall, now would we?” A sinister laugh filled the air.  
“You know, it’s really a fitting end. My mother came out here every night, no matter what. While I sat inside…cold…alone. She hated me for what my father did to us. Always said I would end up just like him. Daddy’s little girl, she called me.” She confessed.  
“I guess I proved her right when I pushed her off this cliff and watched her die.”  
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, as she brought the gun up toward his feet.

“Daddy’s…” BANG!!

“Little…” BANG!!

“Fucking…” BANG!!

“Girl…”

She was right in front of him when she brought the gun up to his head.

 

BANG!!!!!

Tears filled her eyes. She looked down and watched her soaking wet white shirt turn crimson red. Looking over her shoulder, he could see a shadow closing in. It pulled the trigger three more times, bullets hitting her all over her body. Josh kept his eyes on the mist. From the haze stepped Chris, continuing to pull the trigger on the now empty pistol.  
Denise took a single step, then lunged and Josh, determined to take him with her. She went over the edge, however, he didn’t. Josh caught her arm just over the edge of the cliff and held on to her. After all he had been through, this woman, still had his heart.  
“Hang on!” He strained.  
Flashes of light filled the air. A bolt of lightning came crashing down beneath her, striking the mountain. The ground shook as cracks and rocks broke apart all around, the weight of both of them threatened to give way.  
“Let me go!” She shouted at him.  
“No! Give me your other hand. I can still save you!”  
“Josh, either you let go or we both die. Mountain can’t take us both!” She reminded him.  
Half way between them, the rock began to sheer in two. He strained to keep her grip, which was slipping quickly. Chris ran up behind him and grabbed at his waist, begging him to let her go, to save himself.  
“I’m not losing you again! I can get you help!”  
“Someone has to take care of her, Josh.”  
She grabbed him with her other hand and pulled herself up to his ear.  
“Please don’t do this, baby. I love you.” He whispered, gritting his teeth, trying to pull her up.  
“I love you. I never hid you from her. Don’t let our daughter grow up to be like me.”  
She bent back his hand and cast herself down to the darkness.  
“MARISSA!!!!!”  
Chris pulled him back just as the piece of cliff gave in front of him, her body disappeared to the night.  
Red and blue lights flashed in the background, flashlights swirling all around them. The sound blared through the air as the rain finally faded.  
A short time later, the men were all sitting around the ambulances getting ready to take them away when a small child made her way through the crowd of police.  
“Daddy!” She yelled, jumping into Joshs’ arms.  
“Daddy?” Lance and Chris questioned simultaneously.  
“It’s a long story.” Justin laughed, as they all loaded up to go.  
“Who called the cops?” Josh asked.  
“Found a phone in one of the bedrooms, apparently they were familiar with this place. If Justin didn’t throw me down to the balcony instead of off the roof, I wouldn’t be here to call them. Thank, bro.” Said Chris.  
“I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry, guys…For everything.”  
They left in their rides and went off to the hospital to be treated for their wounds. Later that next day while they patiently waited for James to be released, the police had confirmed to the guys that everyone had been looking for them. They had also informed Josh that unfortunately his girlfriend was killed in the incident in New York, however, the video Denise had showed him was a fake. His family was never in any danger and were completely fine. He took a deep breath and let his head drop back against the wall. Finally, the nightmare was over.

 

Almost a year later…

Things had finally gotten back to normal for the young men. An elderly woman named Maria, touched base shortly after the whole ordeal with custody papers signing all rights of Jocelyn and Marissa’s estate over to him. She told him it was her last parting gift to him, in the event of her passing. He had introduced the world to his daughter and she was accepted by all. Even the guys came to love her. She was the most beautifully kind and high spirited girl. Most nights they sat and talked about her mother.  
Josh had just finished throwing her the biggest birthday party she had ever had. Everybody that was anybody had come and showered her with millions of gifts. It was for her, the best day of her life. Everyone had left a while ago and the guys were helping Josh clean up the tons of gifts that Jocelyn had left lying around. He called her downstairs and noticed the sad look on her face.  
“What’s the matter, hunnie?” He asked, rubbing her back, kneeling next to her.  
“I miss mommy. I wish she was here.” She sulked.  
“I do too, baby. I do too.”  
The doorbell sound in the background.  
“Why don’t you go see who’s at the door, sweetheart? Then come help me put some of these toys up.”  
“Okay, daddy.” She smiled as she ran off toward the front door.  
Josh sat at the dining room table and thought back to the night that changed his life. James had walked in from the back yard since the cleaning was done outside and closed the glass door. He looked up at the door and saw behind him the dazzling reflection of a red haired beauty in a black dress, green eyes glaring through him. He ripped around and looked throughout his kitchen. Nothing was there. He let out a sigh of relief as his daughter came running in with a big red gift box.  
“What’s that, Joce? I thought you opened up all your presents?” He wondered.  
“I did. Someone left it at the door. It has my name on it.” She said, shaking it at her father.  
“Open it then” He laughed.  
She tore open the wrapping and opened the box, pulling out a small necklace with a brass locket that was laced in emerald. Justin walked in the room to let him know that he was done with most of the gift when he noticed what Jocelyn was holding. He ran over and took it from her.  
“Hey!” She yelled, jumping to get it back.  
“Where did you get this, sweetie?” He asked, a cross look in his face.  
“It’s my present, Uncle Justin, give it back!” She cried.  
“Stop teasing her, Justin.” Scorned Josh.  
He looked at the back of it and read the words engraved in it…

To remember the good times…

“I’ll give it back in a minute, sweetheart. Can I talk to your dad for a minute?”  
She huffed out the room and ran back upstairs in defeat.  
“What’s the problem?” Josh asked, the other guys now joining them in the kitchen.  
He opened it and showed it to them.  
“I saw this on her mantle, back at the mansion. It was her parents.” He stammered out.  
Josh picked up the box and placed it down on the table, looking it over to see where it came from. There was no information on the box anywhere. He found that strange for something that would have been delivered. He shook it and a picture fell out. He picked it and paused. It was a picture of him and Marissa they had taken shortly before they broke up. The guys looked as if they had seen a ghost once he turned the picture over and read what was written on the back.

 

SEE YOU SOON…

 

THE END…

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this twisting tale of heartbreak and revenge. If I receive enough good feedback from this I will be sure to post more.


End file.
